Okami Redux
by Myra the Sark
Summary: Most people THINK they know the story of Amaterasu...but what most don't know, is that she has a counterpart. Enter Tsukiterasu, whose reborn form is none other than Chase. Will be rewritten a bit.
1. Prologue: The Legend 伝説

**To those who have read this before, I recommend reading it again...I made a few changes.**

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_Long, long ago…a tiny hamlet known as Kamiki lay nestled in a grove of beautiful cherry blossoms. Each and every tree around the grove was honored as a god. _

_However, the village was not without its dark secret—Orochi, a fearsome eight-headed cave-dwelling monster, demanded a sacrifice of a young maiden each year on the night of the annual festival. With a body like a mountain and eight heads mounted on necks the size of tree trunks, its crimson eyes alone were said to curse whoever gazed into them. No one dared disobey the horrific beast. _

_When the night of the sacrifice drew near one year, two mysterious wolves appeared outside the village. One wolf, its fur as brilliant as newly fallen snow, was dubbed Shiranui. The other, its fur as black as the night of a new moon, was called Kuronui in contrast. These wolves kept watchful eyes on anyone who ventured outside the village, and both made a habit of patrolling the village streets at night. People assumed the wolves to be familiars of Orochi. _

_One village took it upon himself to face the fearsome Shiranui and Kuronui. The warrior Nagi attempted many a time to challenge the wolves. But his attempts were thwarted by Shiranui and Kuronui's swift movements._

_Before long, the night of the accursed festival had arrived. A white-plumed arrow heralded the coming sacrifice. Piercing the sky, the arrow sunk its shaft squarely into the home of Nami, the village's most beautiful maiden. Nagi, who harbored a secret love for Nami, was outraged. Determined to put an end to Orochi once and for all, Nagi traveled to the beast's cave in place of his beloved._

_The Moon Cave, a place as dark as evil itself, served as Orochi's lair. As Nagi stood bravely before its entrance, a monstrous beast appeared, eyes glowing crimson upon eight thrashing necks—Orochi stood tall before Nagi, hungrily awaiting another sacrifice. Nagi leapt with incredible grace, swinging his sword valiantly. On and on he sliced, well into the moonless night—but Orochi's hide was like steel. The blade left nary a scratch._

_At long last, his energy spent from the intense battle, Nagi dropped to his knees, fatigued and gasping for breath. He knew he was very well staring death in the face. _

_It was then that the wolves appeared. As if to protect Nagi, they stood their ground before Orochi. In the darkness of the cavern, one wolf's fur shone brilliantly, while the other was like a shadow in a shadow. Alas, it was Shiranui and Kuronui, the wolves that dwelled outside the village. Baring their fearsome claws, Shiranui and Kuronui leapt toward Orochi. Orochi reared its terrifying heads, readying its fangs for battle. The three beasts struggled wildly, thrashing in the darkness._

_Mysterious and terrifying, the spectacle continued on. Shiranui summoned gusts of divine wind to counter Orochi's flames. As Orochi closed in on Kuronui, sharpened fangs glistening…a gigantic tree suddenly sprouted forth, shielding the black wolf. Both Shiranui and Kuronui fought gallantly, aiming to gain the upper hand. However…Orochi, protected by a mystical barrier, was not easily bested. Shiranui and Kuronui, covered in gashes, majestic coats dyed crimson, stood exhausted before the mighty Orochi. Orochi saw a chance to strike what would be the final blow. _

_But Kuronui refused to give in. With its final ounce of strength, the majestic wolf gazed heavenward and unleashed a mighty howl. Suddenly the black clouds overhead dissipated, revealing the moon. The light from above glinted off Nagi's sword—a beacon of hope. _

_Guided by his sword, Nagi, who had been taking shelter in the shadows, stood proudly to face his adversary. Channeling all his might into his scarred and battered arms, he leapt ferociously toward Orochi, sword poised high. The golden sword danced in his hands like a puppet on a string. And one by one, Orochi's fearsome heads were separated from their owner, like overripe apples from a tree. And Orochi's broken body collapsed in a lake of its own blood._

_In that instant, the plaguing curse that was on the village lifted. As the battle subsided, the stars glowed brightly in the sky. _

_However, Shiranui and Kuronui had succumbed to Orochi's poison, and both struggled to breath. Nagi scooped the beasts into his arms and returned to Kamiki. When they returned to the village, Shiranui and Kuronui were no longer moving. The village elder gently stroked the wolves' heads. In response, both Shiranui and Kuronui let out hoarse and pitiful barks…then closed their eyes and drifted off, as if into slumber. _

_Peace had at last returned to Kamiki Village. In honor of Shiranui and Kuronui's heroic exploits, two statues—one of each—were erected by the villagers, and the statues were placed within a shrine. Nagi's sword was christened "Tsukuyomi" and placed within the Moon Cave. The villagers all looked forward to an age of endless peace…_

_But what most do not know is what became of the spirits of Shiranui and Kuronui. The two, whose truthful names were Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu, had lost their mortal forms. Amaterasu fell into slumber within the statue of Shiranui…but Tsukiterasu was unable to enter the statue of Kuronui, and was forced to hover in the space that was not quite living and not quite death. Until one day, a human was born—one that could host the spirit of the moon god…_


	2. Chapter I: Tsukiterasu 月てらす

Chase was having the strangest dream. For one, he couldn't feel anything. It was just…darkness. And then he heard the voice. "How troublesome!" It was clearly a woman's voice. "This is just like the ancient prophecy of doom. What has transpired to bring about such a calamity?" _Who is that?_

The voice continued. "We must act quickly! There is no time to lose! My power has diminished in the time I've spent protecting this place."

_What's she talking about?_ Chase thought.

"I don't have much time left in this world."

Chase didn't know what was going on…but one part of him, a part that was at the back of his mind, seemed filled with anticipation.

"Amaterasu, Tsukiterasu, now is the time." The voice now seemed to be speaking to _him_…and someone else. _Amaterasu? As in, the sun god Amaterasu?_ "We have never needed your powers more. Shine your divine lights upon this broken and polluted world. Let your heavenly rays become our hopes as you guide us all!"

Then, within a heartbeat, Chase could see everything again. A wave of energy rolled through him, and he felt _alive_. Then the ground beneath him seemed to become unstable, as if collapsing, so he leapt off. First thing that was wrong: he was much closer to the ground for some reason. Second thing that was wrong: he was a wolf.

A midnight-black wolf with weird blue markings, but a wolf nonetheless.

Then he heard the voice speak again, and he now saw the source. It was a woman all right, except for the fact that she was floating. "Ah!" she exclaimed. "Such divine light! Such beauty and grace! The only ones capable of such a wondrous spectacle are none other than the origins of all that is, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu!"

Chase looked up, confused to the extreme. _Is she talking about…me? And who else?_ He looked to the side, and saw who "who else" was. It was a white wolf, with crimson markings much like the ones he had, and amber eyes.

"How delightful to see that the saviors whose brave sacrifices sealed away the evil demon so many years ago have not changed one bit. Seeing you both emerge after so many years spent as statues bring happiness to my heart." The lady sniffled.

But Chase wasn't paying any attention to that. _That does it. I'm dreaming. Yep. Can't wait till Jinja wakes me up or something…_ Yet something told him it wasn't a dream. To confirm it, he turned to the white wolf, who had apparently decided to take a nap. "Uh, hey!" he barked to it. It—she, though he didn't know how he could tell—lifted her head to look at him.

"Hm? Oh, if it isn't Tsukiterasu. It's been a long time."

"My name isn't Tsuki-whatever, it's Chase. And, what's that lady over there talking about? _And why is she floating_?!"

The white wolf looked at him, apparently confused. Then a look of remembrance crossed her muzzle. "Ah, that's right…you were forced to find a human host, and do not remember anything…I see now. All will become clear to you in time, Tsukiterasu." Chase face-faulted— that left him still in the dark about everything.

Only then did he notice that he had apparently missed something, for he heard the lady say, "Phew! What on earth?" Chase looked, and saw a green…thing…on the ground. "You again?" The lady sounded slightly annoyed.

Then it rolled over a few times, and bounced up, causing the white wolf to leap up, growling. "Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow! Are you nuts? Boy, for a little thing, you sure make a big fuss!" Chase, taken off guard, copied the white wolf in growling at the green…whatever it was. "I was just tryin' to make the conversation a bit more interesting, that's all."

"Were you napping in my clothes again, bug?" the lady asked. By the sound of it, this had happened before.

"Bug? I told you a million times not to call me that! I'm a wandering artist. The name's Issun!" _Issun? Haven't I heard that name in a story once…?_

"I'll show you how great I am," Issun continued, "and it won't be long till you're bowing before my great brush!" He then threw what looked like a scroll, and it landed right on Chase's face. "Well, whaddya think? Even cuter than the real thing, no?" Issun said. Chase shook the scroll off his face as Issun bounced over to the white wolf—apparently Amaterasu. "What's with you, furball? You look kinda down in the dumps." He seemed to realize something. "Wait…" He looked over at Chase as well. "You both look kinda familiar…got it! You look just like those statues of Shiranui and Kuronui!" In response and without warning, Amaterasu tilted her head to the side and caught Issun in her mouth. She then spat him out. Issun's green aura changed to red. "Whoa! Whaddya think you're doin'! Are you crazy? A handsome guy like me should never be covered him wolf slobber! You'll regret messsin' with the great Issun!" He pulled out something that looked like a toothpick. "Don't make me use my prized sword Denkomaru against you!"

Then a low, rumbling growling sound was heard, which turned to a roar. Issun leapt back onto Amaterasu's snout. "Wh-Wh-What's that growling sound? And why's it so dark anyway?" he asked in a shaky voice.

Then, the lady spoke again. "O, great gods Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu…" She began glowing. "I've used all the power I have to protect Kamiki Village. The village lives on. Their spirits lie encased in my fruit. Cut it free, and the village will be reborn!"

There was a sudden gust of wind, and a swirl of cherry blossoms, and a huge tree suddenly appeared. It was bare of any leaves or flowers, and a single fruit hung from one branch. "I trust in you. I know that you will lead us down the right path. Only your awesome powers can restore life to the land." With that, she faded into nothing.

"The tree's returned to normal, huh? That Sakuya girl sure said some weird stuff. The villagers' spirits are being kept inside the fruit…" Issun said. He looked up. "That's the fruit. That girl said that if you cut down the fruit, the village will be restored. But it's awfully high up there. If you don't use some kind of special power, there's no way you're gonna reach it. This darkness is really gettin' to me, too. A lot can happen while you're taking a nap."

Chase snorted a bit, before cocking his head to one side. _Alright, the lady's name is Sakuya. I've never heard that name before…but she called me "Tsukiterasu." Why does that name sound so familiar, but unfamiliar at the same time? _He looked at the tree. A white light was shining from what seemed to be a doorway of some kind. _It looks like I've gotten involved into something else that I have no control over whatsoever…again. I wonder what happened to the others…oh well, I'll have to worry about that later. First, I need to figure out how the crag I got turned into a wolf, and why the heck everyone keeps calling me Tsukiterasu._


	3. Chapter II: River of Heavens 天の川

Chase was shocked. He and Amaterasu had gone through the portal, and the whole area was different. A starry sky stretched endlessly above them, and there was nothing but silence. "Where are we? It got awfully quiet all of a sudden. I don't remember this part of the village," Issun said. "Well, we better keep our eyes peeled for anything suspicious." Chase took a few steps forward. It was a lot different being a wolf. For instance, his sense of smell was much better; he could whiff the smoke from two torches, even though he couldn't see them. Then he noticed a mirror. "Hold on! That's an Origin Mirror!" Issun exclaimed. "They say once your reflection appears on its surface…your memories will be stored in the mirror for all eternity!"

_Really? That's awesome!_ He stepped in front of the mirror, and his reflection appeared perfectly. Amaterasu did the same. It flashed brightly, and their reflections vanished.

Only now did Chase notice that a weird disc-like item was hovering over his back. It was a bright yellow in color, and had a strange purple substance resembling either frost or clouds circling it—it contrasted Amaterasu's, which was a dark green with red flames.

After crossing the bridge, Chase noticed a few vases on the ground, standing up as if someone positioned them. "Look at all those pots just waiting to be broken! If you bust 'em, there might be something good inside. Now, go and bash 'em with your heads!" said Issun enthusiastically. Both Chase and Amaterasu, in response, rammed a pot each headfirst—though Chase had done it on impulse. The pots smashed into pieces, and Chase didn't even feel a thing. "Way to go, my furry friends! You can do that anytime you see something you wanna break." Chase then noticed Amaterasu pawing some coins that were in the rubble of the vases. "Oh, you found some yen. Keep that, and you could buy some useful stuff." He pulled a small pouch out of nowhere. "Use this—I found it in the village and nobody said anything, so I kept it."

Chase then noticed a big problem. They were going to have to climb a cliff if they were to continue. But Amaterasu simply jumped, used the wall for a springboard, and made a perfect landing at the top. _I guess if she can do it…then I should be able to, too._ After readying himself, he did his best to copy Amaterasu's action.

It actually worked.

"Holy smoke!" Issun exclaimed. "Those were some sweet wall-jumps you two did! They say, 'Good luck is found in high places.' So, keep your eyes peeled. We don't wanna miss any treasure!"

Chase then noticed yet another road-block. The bridge ahead had a huge gaping hole in it, as if someone purposely broke it. "Looks like the bridge is out. This shouldn't be so hard, right furballs? Hey, didn't Sakuya call you guys Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu? Could I call you Ammy and Tsuki?" Taking both their silences as answers, he then said, "Listen, Ammy, Tsuki…have you ever heard of the spirits of the brush? Good brushwork has its own soul, 'least that's what they say. Just watch. It'd take all day to explain…a picture's worth a thousand words, right?"

Issun took his sword out, which, Chase realized, doubled as a paintbrush. He seemed to paint on the air, and then suddenly, the bridge was fixed. _How the crag did he do that?_

"Nice, huh? Just a little technique I've mastered called Rejuvenation. It's one of the many brush techniques that use divine power. It's a brush-god power that can restore broken or missing things," Issun explained. "I've practiced really hard just to master this one technique."

_That's incredible!_ Chase thought. _Who knew that one little brush could do that?_ Issun continued: "But there are twelve! Each one is a power of one of the twelve brush gods. Originally, all twelve belonged to these two powerful deities. When the deities died, their powers were split into twelve separate gods. The gods now dwell within objects around us, but…god or no god, how can anyone have the power to master all twelve?!" He was shouting at the end.

As Ammy and Chase continued over the bridge, Chase realized that when they both ran fast enough, plants sprung up behind them, though they faded quickly, only confounding him more. He then noticed a signpost. "The River of the Heavens? They mean the fabled stardust river? But I sure don't see anything like that around here. It couldn't be that little puddle over there could it?" Issun asked. Chase looked over. Sure enough, one little puddle of sparkling water glimmered on the closest shore. Then, Amaterasu ran up toward this hill with an arch over it. Chase followed directly behind her. "Wow! Look at the stars twinkle! I haven't seen such a beautiful nighttime sky in ages."

_Issun's right. I've never seen the sky this clear before…not even Mandala or the jungle had the sky this clear and unpolluted. Dang, Beyal would kill to be here I bet._

Then he saw something odd. Four stars were glowing brighter than the rest…making a pattern. But he felt that one was missing. "Hey, look!" Issun exclaimed. "Are those stars forming a pattern, or is it just me?" Then, for one instant, Chase thought he saw the pattern flash in the image of a dragon. In that pattern, the star indicating the dragon's head was missing. Now, he saw a faint line connecting the stars, but one was missing at the end. "Hmm…there's one missing…" Issun murmured. "Guess I'll just have to draw in the missing star!" Issun took out his brush, but the only effect his attempt had was to make a small smoke cloud appear in the sky. Issun was quite for a moment. "Bah…looks like I'm just not ready to draw in missing stars. I sure spent a heck of a lotta time practicing that." He mumbled something Chase couldn't hear.

He looked up. He didn't know what to do…but Ammy seemed to know. Her tail twitched…and suddenly the color drained out of everything, as if it were suddenly all made of canvas. It was as if time had stopped, but he was still able to move, and so was Ammy. Not even Issun was moving; he was frozen in mid-bounce. He saw Ammy make a star where Issun had tried. Ammy twitched her tail again, and color came back to everything. A new star had appeared where the missing part of the constellation was. The pattern lit up again, but this time it stayed lit. The area filled with mist, and was replaced by a pale yellow sky surrounded by mountains…and hundreds of feet above the ground. Chase started slightly, but realized there was solid, though invisible, ground below them. Then, the constellation flared a bright blue, _and it came to life_. A white dragon that looked exactly like the constellation separated itself from the stars, and flew toward them. It had four arms, all holding colored orbs. It also had crimson markings on it, like Ammy. But every few seconds, the dragon's colors would reverse to match Chase's colorings. Part of it seemed to be in a scroll. The dragon then spoke. _"Ah…if it isn't Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. I apologize for not contacting either of you earlier during these long years. Having never forgotten you, I, Yomigami, god of restoration, have eagerly awaited this day where we could again meet. While you were away, the twelve spirits of the brush that you each once possessed, including myself, have been scattered across this land of mortals, and now lie in disarray. I became a constellation and managed to survive until now. The time has come for you to seek out and reunite all the techniques. Your power is what is needed to restore the dried riverbed of the heavens and renew the flow of stardust."_ Yomigami began to glow, and then, he became two kanji symbols, one white with a black mark and the other black with a white mark, which circled the threesome; while one went to Amaterasu, the other went to Chase. A sudden knowledge flashed through him—he _remembered_ what to do to use Rejuvenation, and how to use the brush that Amaterasu had used.

The area returned to normal. "Wow! That was Yomigami, the god of Rejuvenation!" Issun cried. "Wait…does that mean you have the power of Rejuvenation now?! Can you really use it to restore the River of the Heavens? That would mean you were as good with a brush as yours truly!" He was quiet a moment. "Nah…it couldn't be true. Who else could master this incredible god technique?!" Chase scowled at the inch-high artist. _That pint-sized…!_

They ran down to the stardust river again. "Now how can we fix this mess?" Issun mumbled. _Alright…let's see if I can do this._ Chase twitched his tail—a very strange sensation—and the canvas surrounding appeared. He flicked his tail, and a line of white ink—contrasting to Ammy's black ink—appeared over where the river should have been. He made the canvas disappear, and to his amazement, a bunch of stardust appeared. "Whoa! A river of stardust!" Issun exclaimed. "So this really must be the River of the Heavens. But what a really wanna know is who the heck drew the darn thing!"

Amaterasu turned to look at him. "That was excellent work, Tsukiterasu," she said.

When they swam to the other side, Chase noticed a single box. Amaterasu beat him to it, and rammed it with her head. It opened, and two pouches of some kind came out. One was white with a red swirl pattern, while the other was black with a blue swirl pattern. "Look what you found, furball! These Astral Pouches here're amazing. They can swallow up lots of food. That way, when they're full, they can revive their owners if he or she dies! Let's start feeding it with whatever food we find around here."

After passing through yet another gate, Chase saw a trail leading up to somewhere. Along the way, he stopped to open a box which had a single, orange bead in it. Not knowing whether it would be important or not later on, he shrugged and put it in the bag that Issun had made him carry. They came to a cavern. But after going through it, a gate closed behind them. Is this…" Issun started. "Is this the legendary shrine? We must be in the Cave of Nagi! The legendary hero Nagi is enshrined here! He vanquished evil one hundred years ago with the help of the white wolf and black wolf, Shiranui and Kuronui! First the River of the Heavens, and now this place…where the heck are we, furballs?" Issun looked up. "Boy, this place is a wreck. See? That sword's in really bad shape. The gods sure didn't do much to protect this place."

_I bet I can fix it._ Chase again prepared himself to use Rejuvenation, but Amaterasu beat him to it. The sword was repaired before he could even twitch his tail.

"That really _was_ your brushwork the whole time! How'd you get so good? Who exactly are you, anyways?" Issun looked up. "Hey, there's another constellation! This one looks like a…" He trailed off. Now Chase saw it too: the shape of a mouse. He filled in the missing star. The constellation flared, and the area changed again. It was a mouse indeed, and its fur switched colors much like Yomigami did.

_"Well, well, well…if it isn't Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. It's been a long time. But with all these monsters around, the only place I could hide was in this shrine dedicated to ancient heroes. If there is anything I can do to assist you in your endeavors, I'm at your service. Make good use of this sword, as it was designed to conquer evil."_ The mouse changed into two kanji symbols, much like Yomigami did, and both Amaterasu and Chase received one.

"Hey, that was the god, Tachigami, master of the Power-Slash technique," said Issun. "Wait a minute. If you two are getting all these powers…then you're just like that Shiranui and Kuronui! You know, the wolves that fought and died alongside the great hero Nagi. When Shiranui and Kuronui died, the wolves' power was split into the twelve brush gods. This is crazy—Shiranui, Kuronui, and Nagi? It's just like the legend." Issun thought for a moment. "Well, I've never seen the Power-Slash technique myself. How 'bout showing your stuff on that boulder over there? Lemme see you slice it in two!"

Chase and Amaterasu made the canvas appear again, and both drew a straight line across the boulder. It sliced into three pieces. "Wow! It looks like you can execute your techniques at once! That's some pretty cool power there! I didn't think ya had it in ya, furballs! I'm not even in the same league as you! Guess I really overestimated myself." Issun was quiet for a moment. "Hey furballs…err…I mean, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu…I've made up my mind! If you two're Shiranui and Kuronui reborn, that means you can master all twelve techniques! In that case, I think I'll tag along with you! Lucky you!" Amaterasu shook Issun off, but he just hopped back onto her. "Heh-heh…it's no use tryin' to change my mind! There's no stopping me once I've made up my mind! But enough about me! Now that you've mastered the Power-Slash, you can cut down that thing Sakuya was talking about. Let's go back and give it a shot!"


	4. Chapter III: Kamiki Village 神木村

As soon as Amaterasu cut the gate down, they ran down the pathway. When they got through the gate at the bottom of the path, however, a weird barrier surrounded them. Two monsters appeared—they had green skin covered in boils and mottles. They had paper masks with red symbols on them. They held long bamboo poles and darts. "What the?! Where'd they come from?!" Issun cried. "Ah, whatever. Draw first, ask questions later, right? You know those Divine Instruments you both have on your backs?"

Chase looked at the disc he had. _I've never really thought about that disc. What's so special about it?_ "Well, they're weapons! Use their powers against those monsters!" Issun continued.

Amaterasu leapt at one imp, swinging the disk so hard, the imp died on impact. _Yikes, I don't want her mad at me. I guess I should take care of the other one…_

Chase leapt at the other imp, and as he closed in, the disc on him swung around to smack the imp in the face. He then quickly drew a line across the imp, and it fell into two pieces, which dissolved into flower petals. The barrier faded. "Move your tails, furballs!" Issun commanded.

After defeating two more imps, the threesome found themselves back at the tree where Sakuya had been. Amaterasu looked up at the fruit, and with a single Power-Slash, cut it down. As soon as the fruit hit the ground, a wave of energy flowed out, dispelling most of the darkness. The sky remained black, however, as if it were a cloudy night with a new moon. "Wow! The village's been restored! Sakuya came through big time! She really was protecting the village! But I sure wish I coulda spent some more time in her kimono, if ya know what I mean!" Issun chuckled, while Chase rolled his eyes. "But seriously, with monsters runnin' around and all…the village could still be in danger. Let's go see how they're all doing down there."

Amaterasu was already dashing down the path before Issun could finish his words. Chase scrambled after her. When he caught up, the white wolf was staring at what appeared to be a very realistic statue of a young man with a flute. "What in the world? I don't remember there being a statue here…well, whatever. Let's go talk to the villagers!"

Both wolves dashed down the path toward the village, and saw yet another statue in a vacant field. "Hey, there's a statue here, too…it's like the villagers have turned to stone, or something…" A loud roar cut through the still air. "Not again! That's not one of those smaller monsters we saw earlier, that's for sure. A roar like that is definitely something bigger. Let's hurry and find someone with a pulse around here!"

As Chase looked around, he saw another statue standing in a rice paddy. "No good; that one's not moving either. Everyone here was perfectly fine an hour ago! There's definitely something wrong here. The village is back, but what's up with the dark sky? Maybe it's dark outside the village, too! Let's find some high ground so we can take a look! I know about this deck of some sort, up the other path. Let's go to it!"

When they got to the deck, Chase thought he saw Issun shudder. "This is bad…the sun's not even shining. It's as black as night as far as anyone can see. And not a single villager can move a muscle…is this some kind of curse? It's not gonna stay like this _forever_, is it?"

_How are we going to fix this one?_ Chase thought. _Maybe we need to find another brush god?_

Find another brush god they did _not_ have to do, for he noticed Amaterasu twitch her tail, and then draw a circle in the sky. _Right! Amaterasu's the sun goddess!_

As soon as the sun appeared in the sky, the air became warm. Issun reacted as expected. "Wh-Wh-What the?! Hm…come to think of it, you _are_ Amaterasu! That's the name of the sun goddess! So, it'd follow that you'd have the Sunrise technique from the start. With it, you could even turn night into day…wow! You're no run-of-the-mill god, that's for sure! 'The flowing brush is like music from the heavens.' That's a line from one of my grandfather's poems. He felt a skilled artist was like a musician of shape and color. Since you're such great artists yourselves, why don't we name your brushwork after that poem? It's the Celestial Brushes! After all, Ammy's brush did bring the sun out!"

"Hm? Who are you!" a voice sounded from behind them. Amaterasu and Chase turned. An old man had come up behind them. "A white wolf and a black wolf! Not the two who fought that terrible creature with Nagi! You couldn't possibly be the legendary Shiranui and Kuronui!" Chase rolled his eyes. _Kuronui…I've never heard that one before…or Shiranui for that matter. Issun mentioned Nagi, but I don't know that story. _The old man continued: "No, it can't be…that story is 100 years old. Still, you two look a lot like that statue of Shiranui and the statue of Kuronui. On the other hand, neither of you look quite as smart…"

_What?!_ Both Chase and Amaterasu began growling. "Wh-Wh-Whoa! No need to growl like that!" the old man stammered. "Can you really understand me?" Then, Chase noticed three imps on the cliff behind the man. Amaterasu acted first; she quickly grabbed the man and threw him out of danger, and leapt into battle. A minute later, all three imps had been reduced to flower petals. As soon as the barrier disappeared, the nearby dried-up pond filled with water and brightly colored orbs with kanji symbols flew into them.

"Wow! You both really get aggressive when you're mad, don't ya? Hey, you got yourselves some Praise. And look! See how the dried-up spring began flowing again? That's because ridding an area of monsters restores the gods' power to the land. People call it Divine Intervention. The more you restore the land to its natural beauty, the more Praise you get. It's the source of your powers. Few people believe in gods these days, and that may weaken you guys, but if you try real hard, your true powers may shine through! But boy, there's been a lotta monsters around lately. And that Mr. Orange you tossed around up on the sacred deck…looks like he thinks you're regular wolves. Seems the gods have grown so weak people can't see their true forms anymore." Issun grumbled something incomprehensible. "Oh, uh…" he exclaimed, looking embarrassed. "Anyway, I'll show you around the village. I have a feeling we're in for an epic adventure!"

Chase looked to the sky. _I still don't know how I got here. I wonder how the others are doing. Did I just vanish in front of them or something?_

* * *

Meanwhile, in a closely-knit world, four teens stood at the top of a ledge…namely, the remainder of Team Core-Tech. They'd all awoken to find Chase gone without a trace—he had even left his cores behind. Which he would never, ever do.

All of them had one thought: _What happened?_


	5. Chapter IV: Susano スサノオ

Chase sat back and watched, amused, as Amaterasu dug up turnips from Mushi's mother's turnip patch, nimbly dodging the woman and distracting her with strokes of the Celestial Brush.

"So, Tsuki, think she'll get them all?" Issun sat on his muzzle, watching with interest as Amaterasu used the Power Slash technique on her chaser's hat. He barked. _Of course she'll get them all…as long as she keeps using the brush that is._

"Was that a yes? Oh, there she goes."

Ammy left the turnip field holding her prize: the oddly-shaped turnip that Mushi and his dog Hayabusa had been aiming to dig up, while Mushi's mother looked at her now nearly-vacant garden in distress.

Chase watched as the white wolf held out the turnip to Mushi, who turned pale. "Hey! That's…that's…the oddly-shaped turnip Hayabusa and I've been looking for!" gasped the boy, eyes widening in shock. "That means…you've broken Hayabusa's record by digging up all ten turnips!" Mushi stomped one foot on the ground, then stomped the other one for emphasis. "Gosh darn it!" The kid fell silent for a moment. "Fine…you're the better canine…" he admitted, and scratched the back of his head, looking back at his dog. Suddenly Mushi grinned and looked back at the sun goddess, who had gone to sleep on the ground in front of him.

"Just you wait, Snowy! Hayabusa and I will match your record!" said the boy excitedly, and ran over to his dog, urging the canine to get up and pointing at his mother's patch with such enthusiasm Chase thought he'd had seven cups of coffee. Not that coffee existed here…or did it?

Issun hopped down from Chase's muzzle and bounced over to Amaterasu, his aura flashing various colors, while Chase himself followed just behind him, taking another look back at the field of vegetables. Hayabusa had circled around Mushi's mother and was quickly digging up another turnip. As the woman turned her head in the dog's direction, he winced. _That isn't gonna end well for Hayabusa._ He looked back at Amaterasu to see one amber eye open and look curiously at the sprite as his aura turned back to its usual green color.

"All right, furball, maybe we should get moving. I mean, we've spent half the day here just helping the villagers."

It was true, too. They'd repaired the water mill, replaced Mrs. Orange's drying pole and helped her dry her clothes, and even cleared Kamiki of the strange evil influence that pervaded the air. There had been six imps that he and Amaterasu had dispatched, Divine Retribution and Divine Requital—their Divine Instruments—working in tandem to rid the village of the demons. He had to admit, it was breathtaking to see the white wolf in action: darting this way and that with fluid grace; dodging attacks with an ease that made her look like she was the wind itself; bashing her enemies with such fury that Chase had wanted to shrink back and hide in a corner; wielding the Celestial Brush with expert precision; it was here that she'd seemed more like a fierce goddess and less like a wolf.

Ammy let out a yip and wagged her tail, getting up while Issun hopped atop her head. Chase trailed quietly behind them, watching both sprite and wolf interact as they made their way to the far end of the village. Issun talked about anything that came to mind, while the wolf goddess listened and sometimes yipped in agreement. Not that that was saying much—most of the time the artist rambled on about beautiful women he'd encountered while wandering Nippon. On the rare occasion he wasn't talking about a beautiful woman, he'd talk about some of his sketches and paintings or his life as a wandering artist. Then, as they reached the end of the path, Chase noticed something unusual. A huge boulder was blocking the exit to the village, and a merchant was trying to move it by himself. Amaterasu yipped, and trotted over, Chase following. "Heave! Heave!" the merchant said to himself. "This is weird! My mind really wants to shift this rock, but my body won't cooperate! It's like I'm made of lead! Could this be a case of demonic possession? I sure hope not!"

As if to confirm what the merchant said, an imp appeared, but it was _red_, not green. Two green ones also came out. While Amaterasu took care of the green imps, Chase faced the red one. It used its lute as a shield, but one Power Slash took care of that. As soon as the imps turned to flower petals, there was a rush of wind, and a few trees and flowers materialized, along with a bunch of Praise Orbs. As soon as both Amaterasu and Chase collected them, however, their fur started shimmering. "Whoa, Ammy and Tsuki! You suddenly started glowing! Maybe you can use all that Praise you got to make yourself more powerful!"

_Uh…what is he talking about?_

"I can explain," Amaterasu suddenly barked to him. "We have weakened over the last century, Tsukiterasu. The Praise from restoring nature is how we will return to the peak of our strength. Just focus on using it for something…such as stamina."

"Alright then," he said to himself, uncertain. "And could you _please_ call me Chase?" Meanwhile as he focused, he thought he felt a small jolt of energy.

"Well?" Issun started. "It is all coming to you or what?"

Chase said, "It's…it's hard to notice something that small."

"Huh? It's hard to notice such a small enhancement? Oh, lighten up furball! This is one big step for the new-and-improved Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu…" He paused. "Wait a minute! Tsukiterasu?! That's the name of Ammy's counterpart! I bet that means you can use the Moonrise technique! It can even turn day into night! Who knows what we can do with that?!"

Chase frowned. _But I don't know how to do it…_

Issun paused again. "Oh, I almost forgot! We better check in on the merchant!"

"Ah…I fell as light as a feather now! Sadly, that doesn't make it any easier to shift this boulder. Who went and blocked the only path out of here, anyway?" He noticed the two wolves. "Hey pups! Your masters live in this village, right? Do you know where Susano lives? If so, could you get him? I'm sure he'd know what to do about this rock!"

"That's strange…" Issun muttered. "This boulder wasn't here before." As the two wolves walked back toward the village, they heard impossibly-loud snoring coming from a house. "Sheesh…he's always snoring like a bear. This is the home of the two-bit, middle-aged warrior Susano. He goes around claiming to be descendant of Nagi. He's famous around here for his lineage, but he's awfully lazy and too off-the-wall to be a descendant of a legendary hero."

Amaterasu went into the house, though Chase decided to stay out. _Alright,_ _back to why the crag everyone keeps calling me "Tsukiterasu." Issun said it was the name of Amaterasu's counterpart…Amaterasu's the sun goddess…does that mean Tsukiterasu's the moon god, maybe? I sure don't feel like a god. Issun also mentioned a Moonrise technique. If Sunrise is drawing a circle in the sky, maybe Moonrise is the same thing! I'll have to try it later._

His thoughts were interrupted as Amaterasu raced out of the house, a man on her back. "Put me down _this instant_ Lassie!" he yelled.

Amaterasu ran over to the boulder and threw Susano—as it was probably him—down. Chase ran over. "You mangy mutt! You brought me all the way here just to test yourself against me? Then prepare to face the wrath of my trusty blade, Tohenboku!"

"H-Hold on a moment!" the merchant cut in. "You're the legendary Susano?"

Susano changed moods instantly. "Yep! None other than Susano, the greatest warrior who ever lived! And by the way, never interrupt warriors engaged in battle!"

"But I've got a favor to ask of you. This huge boulder blocking the path is really getting in my way. Can't you do something about it?"

Susano seemed surprised. "What?"

"Come on, please! I mean, you are Nagi's descendant, aren't you? Surely one stone's no match for your mighty skills…right?"

"Hm…it is certainly not beyond my ability."

"Really? Great! Okay, then! No time like the present. Go for it!"

"Wait! A boulder of this size is not very easy, even for someone of my skill. This will require my upmost focus to magnify the power of my sword. I shall retire to the training grounds to make preparation." Susano ran off toward his house.

"Huh…I wonder…" Issun muttered. "I've never seen the guy train seriously…_ever_."

Amaterasu and Chase exchanged looks, and both ran over went after Susano, to see him lying on the ground with a bottle next to him. "I know I told that merchant I could help, but a boulder of that size? I don't care if I'm from a legendary bloodline, it's just too big!" He picked up the bottle and tried to drink from it, but it was empty. "Oh no! I can't believe I've run out of sake at a time like this!" He threw the bottle aside. "This won't do one bit. That's it for today; I'll just have to train tomorrow."

Issun said, "Does he think we'll get him some sake? Doesn't the village have a sake-brewing girl living near that rice paddy?"

Almost instantaneously, Amaterasu ran over to the house with the windmill, Chase close behind. As soon as they went in, the girl ran over to pet them.

"You're interested in how to brew sake, aren't you Snowy and Blackie? Well, this thing here's for polishing the rice, you see. Oh, I'll tell you what. I've got something I think you'll like." She took a blue bottle off of a shelf. "Hee-hee. It's just some leftover stock from the store, but I made it myself. It's called Vista of the Gods!"

_Nice title._

Chase grabbed the bottle and ran out of the building to where Susano was. Susano jumped up. "Hm? Hold it right there, Fido! Is that Kushi's famous sake I smell?" Chase put the bottle down, and Susano grabbed it. "F-F-Fido, my friend! Did you bring me some of Kushi's sake? Oh, what a glorious day!" He took a sip. "Ah, good ol' sake! A man without drink is like a warrior without his sword! In fact, it is said that the legendary Nagi relied on sake in his battle with the dreaded Orochi! It's all so clear now! Let the training begin!" He then cut two training dummies in two. Then, he turned toward an iron rock. "Feast your eyes on this! Susano-style…Exploding Implosion!" He threw himself at it, sword ready. _There's no way he can do that! Maybe I can help a bit._ Chase used Power Slash on the iron rock, but he accidentally cut the tree behind it down. _Whoops. Guess I need to be more careful with Power-Slash, then._

"Huh? Hiyaaaaaah!" Susano shouted as he ran off. Both wolves followed. "Susano-style…Exploding Implosion!" He threw himself at the giant boulder. As his sword made contact, Amaterasu executed a Power-Slash, cleaving it in two.

"Th-Th-That's amazing! You sliced that boulder clean in two! You really are something!" the merchant exclaimed.

"Wow! I didn't think ya could do it, pops!" Issun added.

Susano was quiet. Then, "Me either…" He then realized his mistake. "Err…I mean, of course I could!" He held is sword up in a pose of victory. "After all, I am Susano, the greatest warrior ever!"

"You weren't just showing off when you said you're Nagi's descendant! Someone like you'd have no trouble fighting monsters off, huh?" At this, Susano gained a worried expression. "Well anyway, thanks a lot. Now I can start doing business again."

"Did you say m-m-monsters? Oh, uh…of course, no problem. This is a job for the most skilled warrior in all of Nippon! Yes! I shall rid these lands of their vile presence!" He turned toward the exit of the village. "Just sit back and watch the mighty Susano do his work!" He ran out laughing.

"He shouldn't get all puffed up," said Issun. "He's nothing without us." Some cherry blossoms blew through the breeze as he spoke. "Think he'll be ok? Those monsters outside the village are nasty."

Then, Chase heard a familiar voice. "Ah…glorious Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu…"

They looked behind them to see Sakuya. "What a pleasure to witness your heroic deeds! I am in awe! When you cleaved that boulder in two, Amaterasu, my heart skipped a beat. To see your skills with the brush is to witness great art."

Issun hopped off of Amaterasu's head. "Yeah? So do we get a reward or something, lady?"

"I hardly think your participation had any impact, little bug."

Issun flared red and hopped back onto Ammy's snout. "It's _Issun_! Issun, Issun, Issun! Stop calling me a bug! I'll crawl back into your kimono if you say that again!"

"My word!" Sakuya flinched.

"Aw, relax lady. Furball here's more comfortable anyway."

"What was that, Issun?" Ammy asked.

"Let's get back to that reward thing you were talking about." Issun hopped back onto the ground. "C'mon, Tsuki! Put your paw up or something…" With a smirk, Chase placed one paw on Issun. "Go on, shake!"

"I must apologize. I would like to reward you, but I'm afraid I haven't the power. I can barely muster enough strength to make a flower bloom. Though my body stands firmly here in the confines of the village, my roots spread far and wide, protecting remote areas outside the village. These parts of me are known as Guardian Saplings. They collect the praise and adoration that gives me strength. The recent evil is eroding the Guardian Saplings…if that continues, I will wilt away and my power will vanish. Worse yet, the dark power grows stronger with each passing day. Life as we know it will be consumed utterly in no time."

"Aw, man…this is gettin' heavy," Issun muttered.

"Great and powerful Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu! Could I be so bold in asking your assistance in rejuvenating these Guardian Saplings by lifting the curse that enslaves them? The two closest lie in the Shinshu Field and the Hana Valley. I have grown tired…I haven't even the strength to speak now. I hope that my request has not fallen on deaf ears…Amaterasu…Tsukiterasu… may the fresh scent of flowers protect you and your companions always!" With that, Sakuya disappeared.

"Bah…I'm always itching for a good fight, but…I sure don't wanna poke my nose into this mess! Still, I'm stuck with the furballs till I get all the brush techniques. Anyway, Ammy and Tsuki are both gods and all…what could possibly go wrong? Hey did you listen to her, guys? You get the rest of the brush techniques to save the world, and I'll steal and learn them! Yeah, that's the plan! At any rate, let's start by restoring the Guardian Saplings!" Ammy barked her agreement, and the trio started toward Shinshu Field.


	6. Chapter V: The Curse 呪い

Nothing in the whole wide world could have even minorly prepared Chase for what he saw. The grass was brown and brittle, while the soil itself seemed to be crying out for rain. A roiling black-and-red mist saturated most of the field, petrifying the people it touched and choking the plants in its cold grasp.

"This is bad," said Issun. "See that Guardian Sapling?" The poor, withered tree stood near the center of area, its branches drooping toward the ground. "It's supposed to be a place for travelers to rest and recuperate, but just look at it! It looks like it could fall over at any moment!" Issun turned his attention back to the miasma that pervaded Shinshu Field. "Yep, this place is definitely cursed from the looks of it! Places where evil has taken hold, luring monsters from far and wide, are known as cursed-zones. But the thing is, I've never seen one this darn big! It's withered all the plant life in the area, even that big tree! It'd take a monster with powers beyond even a god to do this!" Issun was quiet a moment before saying, "That tree's an offshoot of Sakuya. It protects nature in the area. Maybe the natural beauty here would return if we revived it…but how the heck could we do that, anyway?"

_That's a good point,_ thought Chase, cocking his head to one side. _How _can_ we do that?_ He then realized that Amaterasu was heading down a trail leading toward a river. _I better follow her._ Chase, quite suddenly, noticed a house. _Who would live out here…when there's a curse-zone spreading around?_

"That's where the Nameless Man lives. He's a woodcutter, and from the line of Hana Valley's protectors…hey! Maybe he knows something! Let's go find him."

Amaterasu barked at a man who was staring sorrowfully at a filthy river. "What just happened?! I was out here chopping wood and communing with nature as usual, when I heard a loud rumbling from the lake. Then a huge gust of wind blew up out of nowhere. I don't know what happened next, but when I came to, it was like this. I noticed a figure running from the lake toward Kamiki." He must have noticed Chase gazing at a cavern that the river ran from, for he then said, "What's up wolf? Curious about that cave? It's the entrance to a place called Hana Valley, you know. It has an amazing waterfall, but monsters have moved in. There's a trippy crystal ball that makes plants grow enshrined there. You'd think gardeners would be flocking here for it! Actually, about an hour ago, that Susano guy went marching in there. It's just weird. Normally he'd run at the sight of monsters. And, he hardly seems the type for gardening. Anyway, it's bad karma. You could be attacked if you went in."

Chase and Amaterasu exchanged glances. Maybe there was a brush technique in there. When they got in, the nearby lake was filthy, and the area was misty. An evil aura seemed to hang over the area. They soon came across some imps, and both wolves wasted them quickly. When the imps had been reduced to flower petals, an island appeared on the lake, but then disappeared in a black cloud. Chase was horribly confused. _Why did that happen? I thought when we defeated the monsters, nature would be fixed up._

"Huh? We got rid of the monsters, but why did the gods' power disappear? Guess the curse on the gods of these lands must be really strong. They can't intervene till we do something about this stagnant air."

They continued through the valley. "Hey, check out that tree! It's moving!" Sure enough, when Chase looked, the tree _was_ indeed moving. "Better be careful, guys…" Then, the tree twisted and threw what seemed to be a fruit at them. Amaterasu instantly reflected it with a Power Slash. "Ammy! Did you just do what I think you did?! You just used Power-Slash to hit the tree's fruit back at it! Good plan! Heh-heh, it's wearing the taste of its own medicine! Let's pass this creepy old tree while we can!"

After making it by a few more trees and crossing a bridge, they came to a large cavern. There was an altar of some sort, and a mural, but it was covered in red ink that radiated evil—Beyal would go nuts if he saw that. They then saw Susano, trying to push a rock wall.

Then, two green imps popped out of nowhere, and played flutes. The ground rumbled, and then a yellow imp with a drum popped out of the ground. Then, using the drum as a drill, burrowed into the ground again. While Amaterasu handled the green imps, Chase tried to find a way to deal with the yellow imp. It seemed that it used the ground to attack, and by using scent, he figured out how to track its movements. When it popped up, he leapt behind it. While it looked around for him, he hit it with a Power-Slash, cleaving it in two. It turned to flower petals, along with the two green imps that Ammy demolished. Then, the mural flared a bright yellow, and the red ink flew off. It now showed five people with an orb on a pillar, and a light shining from the orb onto a growing tree.

"Hm? What's all the racket?" Susano said. Then he saw the wolves. "Oh, it's you, mutts! What're you doing here? Go home! I already told you I'm not looking for apprentices. Anyway, Hana Valley is no place for mutts like you. Beyond this point lies my secret training ground. It's the perfect place to hide—"

Ammy and Chase's ears perked at the word "hide." Chase even said, "Huh?" and it even sounded like he said it!

"Err…I mean, to train!" He then leapt up, sword ready, and both wolves jumped back. "Now scoot! Be off with ya!"

Issun hopped over to the mural. "Wow, look at this!" Chase and Ammy looked over at Issun. "Wow…check out that wall painting. It's said that a crystal sphere that makes plants grow is enshrined deep in the valley. But don't you think something's missing, though?"

Chase very clearly saw the problem: there was apparently supposed to be a sun on the painting, but it was missing. He looked at Amaterasu, who complied by drawing the sun where it was missing. There was a red flash, and the image of a sun appeared on the painting. Then, the rock wall that Susano was trying to move glowed brightly, and shattered.

"What in heaven's name?!" Susano exclaimed. "How did that happen? Well, now I can go hide—err…train!" He ran into the tunnel, Ammy and Chase following closely. After running through a hallway and doing a wall-jump, they came to a room that was open to the sky. On a hill, a small sapling was the only life present. Beyond it was an altar, with the view of a waterfall. "What a strange place. Is this really the secret training ground Susano mentioned?" Issun said. "Speaking of which, where'd pops go anyway?"

Both wolves walked up to the sapling. "What's up with this tiny sapling? Hm? I smell a faint scent like Sakuya's coming from this sapling! Maybe it's a Guardian Sapling?"

Chase noticed a gate, and demolished it with a simple Power-Slash. The area that was barred off led to a tunnel that was surrounded by one huge waterfall. At the end there was a room, where a very angry-looking Susano was.

"Rawrrrr!" the said man yelled.

"What now!" Issun exclaimed.

"You…you foul beast! How did you get in here?!" ranted Susano.

"Foul beast?" Issun asked. He, Chase, and Ammy looked…to see a bear, balancing on a spherical object, asleep. _A _bear_? He called a _bear_ a foul beast?_

Susano continued. "You have some nerve sneaking into here, foul beast. Now you shall get a taste of my new secret technique!"

"Your 'foul beast' looks like an ordinary sleepy bear to me, pops," Issun said.

But Susano seemed not to hear him. "Enough talk! My blade thirsts for battle! Here goes nothing! Susano-style SUSANO!" _He named a technique after _himself_?_

Susano then sliced the four torches that shed light on the room—though Chase had a feeling that Amaterasu had something to do with it—while yelling the three syllables of his name. He then turned to the bear. "Now for Susano-style…Exploding Implosion!" He slashed at the bear, but all it did was startle the bear into waking up. The bear rubbed its eyes, ground, and fell backwards, asleep again as soon as it hit the floor.

"Hm? Aha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Susano laughed. "That'll teach you, you foolish beast! You're no match for my new secret technique!"

Issun was quiet. Ammy walked up and gave Susano a funny look. He turned his head slowly, and jumped at bit when he saw her staring at him. He put his sword in its sheath and coughed twice. "Um…uh…rest in peace, foul beast. The great warrior Susano condemns the offense, not the offender. Anyway, there are other monsters I must deal with!" He ran off laughing.

"…well, that was weird," said Issun.

_Agreed…he can be weirder than One-Eyed Jack._

The two deity-wolves walked over to the bear. "Sheesh…it's still sleeping like a…well…a bear," Issun said. The bear continued to snore loudly. "What a snore…it makes Susano's sound like a kitten's purr!" the sprite added humorously. They then turned to the glass orb. "What's this thing? It looks like it has leaves swirling in it…wait! Do you think this is the thing that Nameless Man was talking about?"

Ammy blinked, and started rolling the orb through the hallway. Chase followed, and helped her roll it up the hill for the altar. The orb rolled down a smaller hill and onto a puddle. Then, a sprout of water lifted the orb up, where it balanced on the water perfectly. "Wow, someone had a lot of time on their hands to plan this up!" Issun commented. "So this _was_ that sphere in the painting!"

Amaterasu walked to where the view of the valley's waterfall was best. She gazed at it a while, murmuring, "The picture had a tree, the Guardian Sapling; the orb, the glass sphere; and now the sun…" She then used Sunrise. The sunlight reached the orb, making it light up, and then it shot a beam of focused light right at the Guardian Sapling. Then, right in front of them, the tree grew to full size, within a few seconds. Chase was amazed.

They ran down in front of the tree. "Hey, this _is_ a Guardian Sapling!" Issun said. "It's all withered like the others."

Then, the area got dark. _Is this…?_

"Hey, who turned out the lights!" Issun cried. He looked up. "Oh…it's another constellation, furballs!" The two both entered Celestial Brush-mode, and each made a star to fix the constellation. With a flare of bright blue, the monkey that was the brush god jumped down, spinning like a mad top, and came to a rest in front of them, standing on one leg with the other cocked out behind it. The brush god seemed to realize that they were there, then, and immediately became bashful, sitting on its knees and raising a yellow instrument to its face. _"Ah…Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu, origins of all that is good….My gratitude for releasing my body from its slumber. Please accept my humble thanks in return for your great kindness. I am Sakigami, one of the triumvirate of flora gods known as the Hanagami. My brethren and I have been entrusted with the brush techniques known collectively as Greensprout. I now grant my humble power to you. Use it wisely."_ Sakigami began to glow, and then, he became two kanji symbols and both Ammy and Chase collected one respectively.

"Sakigami—that's one of the flora gods! Apparently, the Bloom technique can make flowers blossom simply by drawing a circle around them. Hey! Maybe you can revive the Guardian Saplings with it!" Issun exclaimed.

"Probably. That might be why Sakigami was waiting here," Chase reasoned. Ammy looked at him, and with a twitch of her tail, the canvas appeared. "You do it first." Ammy seemed to smile at him, and quickly drew a circle around the wilted tree.

Cherry-blossoms sprouted of their own accord on the branches, and flew through the air. Suddenly, they slowed down, and pulled inward toward the tree, as though something was sucking them in. A second later, they exploded outward with a gust of wind and fresh air. Light and flowers spread out wildly across the valley, turning the black grass green and wiping out the black and red mist.

Trees and flowers sprouted in wake of the light, and the rivers and ponds that were once black became bright with color, healthy water now flowing through. Animals appeared in the new grass and behind the trees. It was, hands-down, the most amazing thing Chase had ever seen in his entire life. It was the most awe-inspiring he'd ever seen. Not even a Monsuno could cause that much amazement.

Sixty praise orbs appeared and each wolf-deity received thirty. _So this is what Hana Valley is supposed to look like,_ he thought.

"Wow! Seems Sakuya's Guardian Sapling lifted the curse," Issun said. "I'm not sure how weak the gods have become recently…but it'd take some serious evil power to suppress this beautiful Guardian Sapling. Even if you two are Shiranui and Kuronui reborn…we might be up against more than we bargained for!" He seemed to realize something. "Hey, Ammy, Tsuki! What about the withered Guardian Sapling outside? I bet you could revive it like ya did with this one! And by bringing the Guardian Sapling back to life, we might be able to lift the curse there, too!" He chuckled before saying, "What are we waiting for? Leap before you think, am I right?" Chase shook his head slightly in exasperation. _Isn't it supposed to be "Think before you leap"? Apparently it's different for Issun._

* * *

The river in Shinshu had cleared up nicely, seemingly no longer affected by the curse zone. The Nameless Man, whose house was right near the entrance to Hana Valley, was standing in his yard with his axe slung over his shoulder, observing the river with obvious confusion. He saw them approaching, and turned to them. "Freaky…it looks like the river suddenly cleared up," he said. "I did see Susano whizzing by here a little while ago…but surely it wasn't him who cleaned up the river, was it?" Chase snorted. _Like that'll ever happen._

The Nameless Man shook his head. "Nah, you're right…that wouldn't make any sense." He sighed, then mumbled something to himself about pottery and walked over to where he was chopping wood. Issun chuckled.

"Exactly: few things Susano does make any sense. Let's get to the Sapling—and don't get too close to those Demon Scrolls. They look limp, but get too close and they'll fly into you." They carefully avoided the scrolls, which had seemed to flourish since they entered the valley, and made it to the Guardian Sapling. "Work your magic, furballs!" Issun cheered.

Ammy nodded at him, and Chase repeated what she did, drawing a circle around the lifeless tree. The same events unfolded, only more spectacular now, since they were in a more open space. Only this time, people that were once stone were able to move freely again. Now the field was beautiful, and many pathways were now visible.

"All right! Another one down! Ya gotta love that breeze coming off Lake Harami…"

_Lake__? I don't see a lake anywhere,_ thought Chase, looking around in confusion.

"You don't know where the lake is, Tsuki? It's up and over there a ways," Issun said, gesturing to a sloping path that led steadily upwards. "We—hey, look!"

The two wolves turned to see Sakuya's tree. Before their eyes, green, healthy leaves sprouted on it, and it expanded as though taking in a deep, cleansing breath.

"That's Sakuya's tree. She must've perked up when you revived the Guardian Saplings. We'll stop by and see her a bit later." Chase turned to look at him, while Ammy adjusted her gaze so she could see him. "I mean, we're kinda on a roll here. How about we take a look around Shinshu Field first? You've both been gone a whole century, right? A good run around the place'll do ya good!"

"Sounds like a plan," Chase said, and Ammy voiced her agreement with a bark.

But no sooner than did they cross the bridge by the Nameless Man's house did they run into something. "What the heck is that thing?!" Issun exclaimed.

The object in question was a gate. Not a gate that just anyone could walk through, but more of an ornamental-looking one. However, this gate wasn't going to be used in any decorative scenes any time soon. It was a wicked-looking thing, with dozens of sharp, spiky edges. It was black, but eerie green flames danced about it, causing the patch of grass surrounding the gate to turn black. Just looking at it set Chase on edge. They approached carefully, warily regarding the gate. "Huh. Well, can't just leave a mystery sitting here! Forward march, furballs!"

* * *

Well, as soon as they went through the gate, Chase had a bit of bad luck. Not only were there more imps on the other side, they apparently sensed them coming, for he was whacked on the back of the head and knocked out. When he came-to, Amaterasu, Issun, and the Nameless Man were hovering over him.

"Quite the goose-egg you got on your head there, nature buddy." The Nameless Man whistled. "But many thanks to you guys; my workshop is back!"

Chase rolled over and looked to see the area where the Devil Gate had stood had come back to its original glory. It seemed that the evil of the gate had concealed the pottery workshop of the Nameless Man, and where the gate had been now stood two large log buildings, one of which had a fire blazing in it. "Ammy?" he asked.

"Yes Tsukiterasu?"

"One, I told you to call me Chase. And two, are there four rabbits over there, or do I need to keep lying here for a bit?"


	7. Chapter VI: Past and Present 過去と現在

The Nameless Man recommended that the three of them visit Onigiri, a combat teacher that lived on a hill on the other side of the field. "I follow the path of peace, brothers," he'd said. "But if fighting is what you're called to do, drop by his dojo. He'll teach you some sick moves!"

While on the way, Chase and Ammy pausing occasionally to heal some parts of the field that remained poisoned.

"The name 'Onigiri' rings a bell a bell for me," Issun said, "but I've never bothered to knock on everyone's doors and get to know them. Just lettin' you furballs know that."

The dojo had a rather homey feeling to it; some training dummies here and there, a few pigs in the yard, etcetera. The three passed over a small wooden bridge to reach the other side of the yard that had the dojo itself.

"You think the guy'll train wolves?" Chase muttered.

The entryway had a very traditional feel to it: bamboo grew in neat stalks against the walls. The foreground was a sand-covered floor which ended in a wooden deck. At the back of the deck stood a door, which was framed by two statues.

And in front of the door stood a small man, hunched over with age, leaning on a cane. As they approached the man, he turned around, revealing a pleasant face with a handlebar mustache and a gigantic chin. "Well, what have we here? It looks as if I have two adorable lupine visitors." One of Chase's ears flicked in an annoyed fashion. "I am the Onigiri, and I run this dojo."

_Wait, what?_

"What business could two wolves like yourselves have at a dojo such as this? Surely you three haven't come to study under me? Unless, of course, if you can spot the fee for the training…"

"You slimy old—!" Issun stopped short. Amaterasu had tilted her head back in an almost threatening motion, warning Issun to be quiet or be taken into her mouth. "All right, all right! We'll pay for the lessons. How much are they?" Onigiri blinked.

"Four-thousand yen." Grumbling, Issun forked over the money from the bag. "Well, I'll be! I suppose I have no choice…I'll allow you to enroll in my dojo. Stand back, now!" Onigiri twirled his walking-stick. "AHHHH…OOOOHH!"

Suddenly, the little hunched-over man straightened right up, cane in the air, and—to Chase's eternal confusion—his _head_ seemed to spin on his neck, rolling upside-down so that his massive chin was now a massive forehead, and his handlebar mustache became a wicked brow. Chase, wide-eyed, looked to Amaterasu and Issun. Issun was not bouncing, and was completely silent, whereas Amaterasu looked every bit as stunned as her counterpart.

"WAAAAH! Are you mentally prepared to take the ultimate challenge?!" Onigiri howled. "Step inside to test your might, if you dare!"

* * *

After an hour, Chase felt like he might've dropped where he stood outside on top of the hill above the dojo. Onigiri-sensei was a deceptively tough old guy. The controller had never been worked as hard in his life.

_He'd even give Charlemagne a run for her money, I bet._ It was evening now, the sky pink and the sun darkening to red, casting a blood-tinted shadow over the field.

He then froze. He'd seen some big lakes before, but this one was exceptionally large. The hill topped off there, running along the shoreline until it cut off into a jagged cliff on either side. To their left, a hilltop that was higher up above them; to their right, the path led to a dock that faced a cave—a cave with a deep body of water that ran through it. The hill itself was a viciously-steep drop down on the other side. Directly under them, a hole opened up to allow the river to empty into the lake. There were two paths on either side of the opening: the left was a rickety staircase that led down to a small hut, and the right was a simple dirt path that led down to a strange-looking house. And slightly beyond the house….

"What's with the gate?"

Issun turned to look down. The gate was made of dark wood, and it stood, massive, over the path that led past the house, into Lake Harami…and ended. "That's the gate that covers the Moon Cave," the sprite said.

"I don't see a cave."

Taking Chase's puzzled expression as an answer, Issun added, "It's a magic gate, shouldn't you know that? It's _supposed_ to look like that. So no one would think to go out there and mess where they shouldn't!"

Chase remained with a clueless face.

"You really did forget everything, didn't ya Tsuki? Pull up a seat and I'll tell ya."

Issun hopped off Amaterasu's head and landed in front of the rock, the white wolf dropping to her stomach next to Chase and yawning widely.

"A hundred years ago, there was this eight-headed serpent that lived in the Moon Cave, named Orochi. Now—" Issun stopped.

Chase, at the word "Orochi" made a choked sound. _Orochi…I know that name…_somehow_…but from where?_ Amaterasu looked at him, and said, "Tsukiterasu, you probably are remembering him from one-hundred years ago, but only in flashes, I suppose."  
"Yeah…I guess…"

Issun cleared his throat. "Where was I? Oh yeah—in true form to your legendary monster, Orochi enjoyed an annual, ritualistic sacrifice from Kamiki Village. Young maidens seemed to be his preference. Anyway, for years, on the eve of the annual festival, Orochi would fire a white-plumed arrow into the house of the maiden he'd chosen. That maiden would march off to the cave and would subsequently be devoured by Orochi.

"However, a hundred years ago—nearly to this day—two mysterious wolves appeared outside of the village, one white and one black. Because of their fur, everyone referred to the white wolf as 'Shiranui' and the black wolf as 'Kuronui.'"

_So_ that's_ where those names are from._

"Because of the wolves' suspicious natures, everyone thought that they were familiars of Orochi, and always made a point to try and avoid them. However, one villager, the warrior Nagi, often tried to fight and kill both Shiranui and Kuronui." Issun's voice turned to a growl. "Nagi is the ancestor of Susano, the idiotic coward we saw in the valley."

Chase deadpanned. _He's kidding._

"I honestly wish I were joking. Anyway—Nagi never succeeded in his attempts, as Shiranui and Kuronui were a bit too crafty for him. So, on the night of the festival, the tradition continued as usual—the arrow was fired, and it hit the house of Nami, the prettiest lady in the village. Nagi was in love with Nami, and was furious when he saw Orochi's choice.

"So, what'd he do? He went instead of Nami, intending to end Orochi's miserable life then and there. Unfortunately, as a testament to what happens when human men try to fight, gigantic, hulking, eight-headed demons, he got his butt handed to him on a silver platter. All seemed lost: Orochi wasn't hurt in the slightest, whereas Nagi had been put through the wringer.

"Until, from nowhere, Shiranui and Kuronui appeared! They both leapt to Nagi's defense, and began to fight Orochi. Orochi spat fire and poison at Shiranui, but a powerful wind came and blew it away. Orochi snapped at Kuronui with his eight heads, and trees magically sprouted from the ground and blocked him."  
Issun was really in his element, excitement clearly discernible in his voice. He told the story as though he'd heard it time and time again. "As hard as the two fought, Orochi was protected by some mysterious force, and soon Shiranui and Kuronui were bloodied and exhausted, just like Nagi.

"Orochi closed in for the final blow, but Kuronui threw its head back and howled to the sky. A moment later, the moon shone from behind the clouds. Nagi was rejuvenated as the light from the moon hit his sword, and he struck with a new vengeance, and sliced off all of Orochi's ugly, nauseating heads!"

"Cool!" Chase exclaimed, aware that his tail was going as fast as Ammy's. "So, he killed Orochi?"

"Dead and gone. When we go to Kamiki later, you'll probably hear people talking about him since the festival's so close and all." He paused. "But that's not the end of the story."

"What happened next?"

Issun was silent for a moment. "Neither Shiranui or Kuronui were able to avoid all of the poison Orochi breathed. Nagi carried the wolves back to the village, but there was nothing they could do. Shiranui and Kuronui both died shortly after. The village honored the wolves, since they obviously weren't Orochi's familiars, and built statues of both of 'em at the base of Konohana, that giant tree."

Amaterasu's tail had stopped wagging abruptly. Chase frowned a bit.

"I take it you remember now. Yeah—Shiranui was actually dear ol' Ammy here. And Kuronui—well, I'm talking to him. Sakuya revived you both through the statues." He then changed the subject. "Hey, Sakigami said he was part of a triumvirate, so the other two couldn't have gone far. Let's get cracking!"

* * *

They went down the rickety staircase on their left, and the sun was just disappearing below the horizon when they reached the bottom. The shack that stood before them had one long tube in the center of the roofing that looked suspiciously like a cannon. There was a sign near the door that read "Pyrotechnist Tama's house."

_They have fireworks here? _Chase thought.

The interior of the house was even smaller than the exterior, and the air reeked of gunpowder. There were a few barrels here and there, some candles, a couple of large spheres covered in bright paper in the corner, a giant basin in the exact middle of the room…and a large chalk sketch on the wall, depicting one large circle with many small circles inside it, and a dash through one of the sides.

"No, no, no!" Behind the basin sat a man, mumbling to himself as he chewed on a pipe in his mouth thoughtfully. "I checked the formula a dozen times!"

"Oh, great. He's one of the ones who has conversations with themselves. Hey, buddy—you got a minute?" The man jumped in surprise. On his head rested half a sphere, similar in appearance to the ones in the corner…but this one's fuse was lit. Clearly it wasn't a bomb, but Chase couldn't even begin to think of a reason why someone would wear something like that on their head.

"Oh, two wolves and a wisp. How'd you three get in here?"

"Wisp?! I'm no wisp! I'm Issun, the Wandering Artist! And these furballs here are Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu." The man laughed.

"You're a little ball of fire, aren't you? I'm Tama, the Flaming Pyrotechnist. You three came just in time; I'm about to set off one hum-dinger of a doozy! Check out the formula on the wall." They did as such. "My entire career as a pyrotechnist has led to that formula! It's for a firework I've dubbed 'The Midnight Wonder Boy'."

"Great—let's see it," Issun said. Tama's expression soured.

"There's a problem. You see, I know the formula is sound, but it's not working right yet." Then his eyes lit up. "Hey, here's an idea!" he exclaimed. "You two have good eyes. Fiery eyes…smoldering eyes…your red-hot glares may be just what I need to set this off! All right, kids, hold onto your hats. Here I go!" He jumped up and proceeded to perform the single strangest dance that Chase had ever seen, and when he was done, he picked up a number of dark, lumpy objects and threw them into the basin. Then, whipping his pipe from his mouth, he spun it dramatically and tossed some embers into the basin.

Amaterasu, still staring intently at the basin, twitched her tail. Chase also had a strange sensation. As Ammy drew a circle, Chase instinctively made a dash through one side, and then the canvas-world returned to normal. There was a gigantic puff of smoke, and when it cleared, there stood yet another brightly decorated sphere, its fuse lit and slowly making its way to the bottom.

Lit fuse. Wait…

_Uh-oh._

"HIT THE DECK!" Issun shrieked.

_BOOM!_

The entire house shook as the sphere—a Cherry-Bomb—exploded in a wave of heat and sparks. Something shot up and flew through a hole in the ceiling, presumably leading out through the cannon jutting through the roof.

Amaterasu and Chase both darted outside. Above their heads, an amazing burst of fireworks was taking place: The first explosion revealed a crane. Next, a deer. Then, a butterfly.

"Tama may have a few screws loose, but boy can he deliver!" Issun exclaimed. Amaterasu loved the fireworks, even going so far as to wave her paws and jump at them excitedly. "Easy, Ammy! It'd be one thing if you had a saddle on your head, but ya don't, so careful with that!"

Suddenly, a strange yet familiar light began to glow from above—and it wasn't from the fireworks. "Is that…?" Chase started.

"It's another constellation!" Issun cheered. "All right! Finish it up, furballs!"

Seeing as two stars were missing, each of them filled one in. And as before, in a flare of light, revealing a color-changing boar balancing on a Cherry-Bomb. It sprang forward, trying desperately to keep its balance as a dozen tiny boars chased after it, each holding a torch in its mouth.

The boar finally managed to stop the Cherry-Bomb from rolling, and slowly rotated it so he could face the three before him.

_"Ah, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. Too often, we find it is easy to forget what which we cannot see. Hidden away, I lost track of both of you. But now my soul is at ease. I, Bakugami, god of explosive force, lend my power to your cause. Use Cherry-Bomb to lay waste to enemies and obstacles alike!"_

Without warning, the fuse on the Cherry-Bomb beneath Bakugami's feet ignited. He let out a squeal, furiously rolling away from them with his little boars following behind until—

_BOOM!_

The same thing that had gone on three times already happened again, though this time the orbs didn't _fly_, they _bounced_.

The scene around them dissolved, and they found themselves back in front of Tama's house. "Wow. Bakugami's accident-prone, isn't he?" Chase asked.

Issun whistled. "Bakugami…the power of the Cherry-Bomb! Can't go wrong with that!"

"Being able to blow any monsters to kingdom-come is always a plus," Chase agreed.

Issun then seemed to get worried. "Just, ah…go easy on it, all right? Just don't start blowing up stuff willy-nilly and whatnot!"


	8. Chapter VII: Waka ウシワカ

"Agata Forest Port, huh?" Chase muttered, reading the sign. "Guess it won't be here until morning."  
Issun noted that Chase was reading the sign. "The ferry's been out of service ever since the water dropped, Tsuki," Issun said.

"We could swim, then," Chase said, going to paw at the water

Issun caught on "Yeah, and we could also go scuba-diving in the nearest curse-zone lake," Issun snapped back with surprising savagery.

Chase looked at the sprite, puzzled.

"I don't like water! And neither does Ammy—right Ammy?" Amaterasu made a whimpering noise and shook her head.

"Wha'—but you're the sun goddess! How can you not—oh never mind," he grumbled. And at that precise moment, one of the nearby boars randomly decided it was going to tackle him. He didn't fall, but the momentum caused him to stumble all the way down the unnaturally steep path, and when he did get to the bottom, he fell due to the leftover momentum, right through the gate.

Ammy bolted right after him. "Tsuki! You okay?" Issun asked.

"Y-Yeah, I think…" He trailed off. It was dark, just as it had been before. But now…this clearly wasn't Shinshu Field. He was sprawled on a thin, neatly-cut path that led through the water and to an island with a large, dark cave that could have easily passed as a mountain on it. Above the cave, a group of ominous black clouds swirled menacingly.

He instantly knew what the cave was, in more ways than one. "The Moon Cave," he stated at the same time as Issun, staring.

"You see now why they hide this thing? It's an ugly place." Issun paused. "But still…something doesn't feel right here."

Without any more words, they started off down the path. Chase felt himself trembling strongly as they approached it, while Ammy flashed her teeth and twisted her head, making slight not-quite-growling noises in her throat. Both of their fur was completely ruffled. Issun noticed, and said, "You guys sure about this? Ya both met your deaths here…"

They ignored him and kept walking anyway. The grounds in front of the cave's entrance were a nightmare: the grass and trees were dead, there were chunks of cracked and crumbling stone debris everywhere, and a strange, foreboding mist hung in the air, which distinctly reeked of decay.

The thin, long staircase that led up to the entrance of the cave was crumbling, and the stone was stained dark, as though a dozen inkwells had been dumped on it over the years and were left to dry and sink in. It looked utterly decrepit, but was actually quite strong, or at least it felt strong once they climbed it.

The entrance of the Moon Cave was enormous. Maybe about seven or eight times Chase's height—as he was a bit bigger than Amaterasu—easily. But even more curious was the fact that, covering the entrance like a sheet of glass, was a watery-purple barrier that had small white squiggle-like figures that suspiciously looked like snakes around it. Curious, Chase sidled forward, extending a paw toward it.

Amaterasu perked, and said, "Tsukiterasu, don't—!" The warning came too late. As soon as Chase came into contact with the barrier, he felt a stinging pain shoot through him, sending him flying back onto the ground below.

"Yikes! You okay, Tsuki?"

"Now do you know better?" Ammy scolded slightly while Chase examined his paw. He was expecting to see a burn mark or something there, but there wasn't.

"Looks like that barrier's just here to scare people off," he muttered. "Let's just get out of here. Heck, we better go back to Kamiki now."

* * *

"Wow, what's all this?" Issun gasped as they set paw into the village. When they got to the bridge, a happy-looking Komuso was practically bouncing up and down. "What a joy to see life returning to the land!" he cheered. "Just fifteen more to go…we will be blessed with a miracle when all the trees are in bloom!"

"Hey Ammy," Issun said. "Can you bloom all the trees? Chase and I'll go see Sakuya." _Hold on, when did I agree to that?_

Ammy, meanwhile, barked once, and dashed off, Issun taking care to jump from her head onto Chase's. Shaking his head, he ran full-speed up to the site where Konohana stood. As they passed under the gate, Issun called up, "Heya, Sakuya, my pretty little blossom! You're lookin' mighty fine thanks to us!" There was no response. "Hey, why doesn't she say something? Hm, come to think of it, I haven't seen her around lately…" He started to freak out. "She didn't kick the bucket, did she? Come on, Sakuya! Let's see that pretty little face of yours!" He paused. "Then again, the tree looks fine…so, let's get to the sacred deck."

When they got up there, Ammy was waiting. "At last…" Mr. Orange said. "At last, the answer to all my prayers! All the village's trees have sprung back to life! It is time to harness the power that dwells within the good earth. Yes! It is time for the Konahana Shuffle! I shall summon back the spirit of the divine tree Konahana!" He grabbed a jug of sake out of nowhere." _Geez, this place is seriously logic-defying…_

Mr. Orange continued, "But first, I must break my vow of temperance. I shall gingerly sip the sake, and soon we shall see blossoms!" Mr. Orange 'gingerly sipped' the sake, then threw the jug over his shoulder. The orange on his head grew to a _huge_ size. Neither Chase nor Ammy could stop staring at it. _Yep, _really_ logic-defying._

"Hey gramps, you okay? You got a real weird look in your eyes!" Issun said.

Mr. Orange turned to them. "Snowball! Shadow!"

_Wait, _Shadow_?_

He continued, "What you're about to see is the stuff of legends!" Ammy turned away so she wouldn't have to smell his bad breath, and Chase did the same. To a human, it would've been normal-level bad. But to a wolf's nose…Chase thought he was going to drop in a faint.

"Behold, the secret of secrets! I give you…the Konahana Shuffle!" He started dancing and each time he pointed at a section of the tree it burst into blossoms. But at one part the tree didn't bloom. Chase figured that was his cue to step in, so he flicked his tail and put a circle around that part of the tree. Subsequently, it burst into petals. It burst into petals, and Mr. Orange continued to dance. Ammy caught on and did the same.

And three more later, the tree burst completely into full-bloom, and Mr. Orange passed out. Ammy sniffed him, whereas Chase kept his distance.

Then: "Ah…Great Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu." Chase looked up to see…

"S-Sakuya?" Issun stuttered. "You're alive? And you…um…look very nice!"

"Little bug friend, I see you are full of spunk as always." She gave a small laugh. "I also owe this elderly gentleman my deepest thanks. What bravery! Mere words cannot express my gratitude. Thanks to you all, I have been restored and re-energized." Issun gulped, and Chase _did not_ want to know what he was thinking. "Of course, the ones who deserve my thanks and respect the most are none other than the glorious gods Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu! Praise be to you both!" Then she laughed and they both received quite the amount of praise, about forty each. "I cannot guarantee that it will mean salvation for all of Nippon, but if you restore the Guardian Saplings spread about the land, you too will benefit from the power that results. I will remain here in Kamiki, praying for your mission's success. How I look forward to gazing upon you again! May the fresh scent of flowers protect you always!" Then she disappeared. Right after the sky turned dark and the stars started to shine.

"Aw, man…what now?" Issun asked.

"A new brush technique, that's what," Chase replied.

It was another monkey. It did a back flip and _tried_ to jump down to them. _Tried _meaning it collided with some invisible force. _What the crag…?_ It then came down, not hitting anything. Sakigami came up behind it, giving it an annoyed look.

_"Ah…Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. Long have I hidden myself here among the nature of Kamiki. But the time has come for I, Hasugami, proud member of the Hanagami trio of flora gods, to reveal myself. May my power be of assistance on your grave quest."_

And so they both received the power. "Holy smokes!" Issun exclaimed. "That was Hasugami! With the water-lily power, you can create lily-pads on water! You can use them to cross any body of water! Let's try it out! C'mon furballs!" He jumped off of Ammy's head and the said wolf dashed after him. Chase, already having a feeling of where they were heading, simply jumped off of the sacred deck, dashing ahead to Susano's house.

When the other two got there, Issun said, "So you've seen that treasure chest out there too, Tsuki? Why don't we create some lily-pads here? Make 'em like stepping stones all the way to the island. Just draw circles on the water to make the lily-pads! Simple. Why don't ya both work wonders with those Celestial Brushes of yours?"

They both created one lily-pad each, making an effective bridge over to the island. When they got to the treasure chest, Ammy rammed it with her head, and it popped open, revealing a fragment of sorts. It was dark gray, and had an inscription of a sun and a moon on it. "Hey, that's a Celestial Fragment!" Issun exclaimed. "I bet if you guys get two more, you'll be able to last a bit longer in battle if ya get hurt! And at least we don't hafta worry about getting wet anymore! I know! Now that we've got this new power, we can use it to travel a bit farther out of the village! Remember the waterway leading to Agata Forest?" He paused. "Our little Sakuya is back to her old peppy self, but…there are still lots of Guardian Saplings that haven't blossomed!" Both god-wolves looked back to Konohana one last time before dashing back and out of the village.

* * *

"This should be easy now that we've got water-lily," Issun decided. They were sitting on the dock at the old ferry port, looking out at the water. And so commenced a series of jumps that eventually resulted in them making it to a ledge with a cracked-up wall. After Chase blew it open, they were in for a big shock.

"The cursed zone expanded into the forest?" Issun gasped in disbelief. By the look of it, the whole area of water was cursed, and so was the majority of the forest. Chase didn't know where the Guardian Sapling was, either. "I thought evil would shun areas with so much grass and trees. It must be some curse, the way it's changed the forest…" Chase went over to the edge of the cliff, looking out. He thought he could see a small "statue" on an island…

"Come on. We have to keep moving," Ammy said gently.

"Right," Chase muttered, following. He knew that she was probably being affected by this, but was trying not to show it.

As they headed down a path, something caught his eye. It looked like a passageway, behind the nearby waterfall. Thank God the waterfall had a strip of land leading up to it that wasn't in the cursed-zone. "Ammy, this way!" he called.

She turned her head to look at him confusedly, and then it hit her. "Sharp eye, Tsukiterasu."

As soon as they were over there, Chase quickly materialized a Cherry-Bomb, and the wall blocking the entrance was soon reduced to nothing. _Dang, Dax would love that one._ And once they were through, there was a Guardian Sapling standing there proudly. Ammy took this one, using Bloom in a total of three-point-five seconds. It instantly burst into bloom, its power bursting out to clear the miasma that pervaded the forest. But just when they thought it was done, there was a flash of light, and a single treasure chest stood in front of the tree. Ammy took a few steps forward, and gave it a stern headbutt. The chest popped open, and what seemed to be yellow beads of a sort floated up to greet the one who opened the box. "A new Divine Instrument, guarded by a Guardian Sapling, eh…wow, Sakuya's gonna spoil you at this rate, furballs," Issun chuckled as Ammy equipped the Divine Instrument.

They dashed back out, eager to see how the forest had recovered. It sure had—there were now tall trees that reached high into the sky, and Chase heard multiple birds chirping. He and Ammy began jumping across three small islands—

And heard a flute.

Chase looked around, and seeing nobody on the horizontal, and looked up to spot a man clothed in pink garb playing a small flute. When the last of the notes faded, he spoke, the faintest hint of a French accent in his voice.

"Hark! The call of the heavens, the earth, the sea…they summon me forth to defeat evil!" The oddly-clothed man emphasized his words with movements, ending with a pose that Chase figured the guy _thought_ was heroic. "Waka, the gods' gift to man is here! Bonjour!"

There was a moment of stunned silence. Then, Issun said, "What's up with that guy?" with a hint of disdain in his voice.

"Those crimson and cerulean markings and divine instruments on your backs…you both look kinda weird, but I reckon you two pack a punch."

"Hey! Think you're so special way up there, huh?" Issun yelled up to Waka. "Get down here and talk face to—wait, did he say crimson and cerulean shading? Can he see you guys' true forms?"

While he'd been talking the man had leapt gracefully off of his perch atop a branch and landed on the water, ripples spreading from where his feet just barely floated as Ammy tilted her head to one side in amazement, whilst Chase simply thought, _Show off._

Then he twirled his flute and drew some kind of glowing sword from it. "Hey! He drew a sword!" yelled Issun, his voice a mix of anger and shock.

"_Oui_! This is how I get my point across, pun intended…" said Waka, eyes glinting in amusement. "The moment the cursed-zone started spreading across Nippon, I saw the shadowy figure that removed the sacred sword Tsukuyomi flee into Kamiki Village and seal the entrance with a huge rock." The man pointed his glowing blade at them. "You guys know anything about that?"

_Of course we do—we cut that rock up…yeah, that does it. I don't like this guy,_ Chase thought, going into battle stance along with Ammy, both readying their Divine Instruments.

"Magnifique!" laughed Waka, pointing his glowing blade at them. "I wouldn't have it any other way! Now you shall get an earful of my beloved sword! Behold, Pillow Talk!"

_Pillow Talk?! What kind of a name for a sword is _Pillow Talk_? _Chase thought as Waka weaved in the air, unsheathing a second sword made of plain metal from his belt and performing several complicated maneuvers in a single movement. _Show off._

"Let's rock, baby!" cried Waka, and dashed toward them, waves trailing in his wake. While Chase executed a well-timed fleetfoot backwards, Ammy jumped over him, drawing a lily-pad on the water and then lashing out with the Devout Beads. Chase was stunned on how she instantly knew how to use the weapon, even though she'd only been using a mirror. _Huh, Ammy could probably teach Charlemagne a few things!_ Chase thought with a chuckle. Then he noticed that Waka had turned his attention to him, and had a jump quickly to avoid a dagger. Acting on a hair trigger, he Power-Slashed it back at him, which stunned him. Both wolves then opened fire. But as soon as they got what seemed to be enough damage to him in, he jumped up and back at the same time, landing on the water again.

"It's been quite some time since I've tasted your powers, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu," he said. "That's enough for now."

"Too late now! You're the one who picked the fight!" Issun paused. "Hey, wait! You know this guy, Ammy, Chase?"

_I don't...or do I?_ Because now Waka was beginning to look a bit familiar…although he had absolutely no idea why. One thing that _did_ strike him as familiar—Waka had yellow eyes.

"Well…that _was _pretty tactless. _Excuse-moi, mes amis_. You see, I was looking into that cursed zone that struck this area. It consumed all in its path, even the light of the sun. It is the curse of Orochi, the legendary eight-headed dragon!"

"O-Orochi?" Issun seemed genuinely afraid. An eerie wind blew across the forest when he said that.

"Do not utter that name without reason," Waka warned. "That alone could curse the weak of mind." He turned around, and continued, "Orochi was slain one-hundred years ago by Nagi, Shiranui, and Kuronui, and its evil spirit was sealed away in the Moon Cave, which I guarded. You know, the cave in the middle of the lake over on Shinshu Field." Ammy yawned and looked around with a bored expression, while Chase sighed, lied down, and put his head on his paws. "But someone has gone and freed Orochi by removing Tsukuyomi. The beast's evil has caused a cursed zone to cover these lands. I never thought the sacred sword could be so easily removed. Whoever did it waited till I was back at the capital. It seems things are afoot that even I did not prophesize!" He turned back towards them, and his jaw dropped when he realized that Ammy was asleep. It was all Chase could do to hold down a laugh.

"We're way ahead of you, pretty boy!" Issun said. "We've been busy dispelling the curse left and right." He accidentally bounced into Ammy, who gave him a frustrated look before going back to sleep. "That Orochi's gonna be mincemeat when we're through with it!"

"So you're the ones who've revived the trees in this area…but a lot of time's passed since Orochi's return. You'd better pick up the pace, _mes amis_."

Issun's glow turned red. "What?"

"I'm sorry to say, our battle just now was a big disappointment." He shook his head sadly as he said this. "You aren't what you used to be, Amaterasu, Tsukiterasu. You may have defeated Orochi long ago, but…one cannot dwell on past glories. You've both weakened greatly during your hundred-year slumbers."

"That's enough!" Issun pulled out Denkomaru. When he looked at Issun closely, he could see that the sprite was trembling in anger. "Now tell me about that shadowy figure you saw fleeing to Kamiki! How do we know it wasn't _you_?"

"Relax, my little bouncing friend. I would never do such a thing." He then seemed to realize something, and looked at Chase. "Tsukiterasu, I understand that your spirit had been incarnated in a mortal form in a different realm. I suppose you've adopted a new identity in that other realm?" He paused. "Oh, I almost forgot! I have a little prophecy for you. I can see into the future, you know. I foresee a log and big thrills!" He made yet another pose. "You'll know what I'm talking about when the time comes! Anyway, I must be off. The work of a prophet is never done. Au revoir." Then he jumped a ridiculous height, vanishing over the cliff.

"_What a freak!_" Issun yelled, bouncing up and down on the ground while waving his sword around madly. "Who the heck does he think he is?" He bounced onto Ammy's head. "Hey, wake up, Ammy!" She did so regrettably. "We got work to do…and something to discuss with Tsuki."

_Ah crag…now I'm in for it._ Chase then decided that he absolutely _did not_ like Waka one bit.

And that incurred exploring around the island while Issun was asking multiple questions, such as "What did that half-baked prophet mean by 'other realm?'" and "Where are you from _exactly_, Tsuki?" Chase didn't answer either of them.

At that moment, they heard a panicked voice: "Ah, ah, where could he be?!" A man wearing light red clothing and a bearskin cloak rushed into view. His quiver, set firmly on his back, barely shook as he frantically scanned the area. Adjusting the bow slung over his shoulder, he turned to them. "Ah, a white wolf and a black wolf…just like Shiranui and Kuronui. I don't suppose you bumped into my son, Kokari, in the forest, did you? No?" Then he chuckled. "Listen to me, talking to a pair of wolves. Then Chase remembered when they first came to the forest, the lone "statue" on a distant island…the one island they hadn't explored yet. Without a word, Chase dashed off.

The person who had been the statue was a depressed-looking kid. "Oh, poor Ume…I wonder if he's okay…" Then he noticed Chase was standing right next to him, and said, "Oh, hi doggie. Are you alone too? I'm Kokari. Pleased to meet you." Ammy and Issun caught up.

Issun said, "Um…some fishing pole you've got there, kid," slowly.

"Actually, there's no fishing line or hook on it right now."

"That explains a lot."

"But there's a reason for that…my dog Ume and I were exploring a secret place the other day…an ancient building known as Tsuta Ruins. We'd never been able to get into the ruins until we found a key deep inside the forest. But when we went in, we heard a horrible roar from deep within. I didn't waste any time getting out of there! I locked the entrance to the ruins and hightailed it home. I thought Ume had followed me, but he was nowhere to be found! I bet he's trapped back at those ruins! He must be crying, all scared and alone…"

"If you know where he is, then why didn't you go rescue him?" Issun asked. "This is no time to be fishing!"

"Yes, well, there's a reason for that. You see, on my way home from the ruins, I fell near the water's edge and in went the key!" He started to cry. "I've tried my hardest to fish it back out, but…I've lost all my line and hooks! And now all I have is this pole! WAAAAAA!"

"Man, this kid's a crybaby…" Issun grumbled. "Give 'im a good whack, Ammy!"

Ammy complied. "_Ouch!_"

"Now cut that out!" Issun said in a stern voice. "There's nothin' I hate more than a crybaby! …except maybe that half-baked prophet. You were the one who left your dog on those dangerous ruins. So you gotta do whatever it takes to get the key and go help him!"

"B-b-but…" Kokari stuttered.

"Listen here, kid…fishing's all about attitude. Attitude! There's nothin' you can't catch without the right attitude! It all can be yours! Go ahead! Act like you're having fun. We'll watch." He then quietly added, "Boy, this murky water sure gives me the creeps."

Kokari heard him. "People call it the Deep Abyss because they can't see the bottom. But that's not why these waters are famous. Legend has it a humongous fish swallowed the moon reflected on the surface of the water. No one knows if the legend is true…but to this day, the moon never rises in the Agata Forest." Strangely, Chase felt a twinge at hearing that.

"Give the fairytales a rest, will ya kid? They're so gloomy. Think more positive. Have fun, fun, fun!" Then he addressed Chase. "Okay Tsuki, you're the one who found the kid, so use that Celestial Brush of yours to help 'im out! It's basically using Rejuvenation to make a line for him."

And that began a session of painting a line from Kokari's fishing pole to the shadows of an underwater fish, waiting until Kokari got the fish close enough to yank it out of the water, and then Power-Slashing it. After catching a crawfish and a goby, they pulled up a giant salmon.

And by _giant_, he meant about four times his size. "Wow, that's a big one!" Kokari exclaimed.

Then the fish started spazzing or something, and then it coughed up a silvery teardrop-shaped thing that had a purple swirl on it. "Hey! Th-that's the ruins key! It popped right outta the mouth of that big 'ol fish! Now I can go save Ume over at the ruins. I'm gonna go all the way this time! No running away for me now!" Then Ammy picked up the key in her mouth and started to walk away. "Hey! Give that back!"

She jumped off of the island and back to shore, and Chase followed fast enough to hear Issun say, "Heh-heh, good move, Ammy! We can't have the kid getting hurt on our watch! Well, what're we waitin' for? We got a lost dog to find in Tsuta Ruins!"

And so they dashed over to the ancient-looking gate, where they found a spot where the key fit into perfectly. As soon as it clicked into place, the doors slowly slid open by themselves, strangely, revealing a hallway that any archeologist probably would've killed to explore. "Well, let's go look for that kid's dog." Issun said. "I'm actually hoping we might find something more. Nobody's been in these ruins for ages, right? Just think about it…there could be a fabulous treasure hoard hidden in there! Heh…but enough talk! Let's start looking!" And with that, they entered the ruins.


	9. Chapter VIII: Tsuta Ruins ツタ巻遺跡

"Are either of you furballs gettin' the chills?" said Issun loudly as they got in. I don't like the looks of this place at all."

_Tell me about it…_ The purple waters reeked of death and decay, while the cursed-trees watched them with undivided attention. The plants in the area had vanished, unable to live in the face of the poisonous stench. Even the stones themselves seemed to be crying out for a respite from the water that hissed and bubbled as they walked along the path. The vines along the wall were shriveled; not even Bloom could bring them back to life.

"Doesn't look like anyone's been in here for ages," Issun remarked while Ammy purified the nearest cursed-tree.

First room they entered had some clean water and two cursed trees. That was all.

Second room was a bit more interesting. "What's up with this round stone?" Issun asked when they stopped in front of the said object. "It's probably much heavier than it looks." Then he saw something else. "Hey, another Giant Bud! And that one's _huge_!"

But as soon as they got close, it turned out to be a Bud Ogre. Both god-wolves opened fire with their weapons, and soon reduced it to flower petals. At that exact same moment, the "rock" flashed, and turned into crystal that was thankfully easy to roll. Ammy moved it onto a button on the ground, which opened the door.

Next room had _two_ Bud Ogres. After that fight was done with, Chase nosed around and found a small blue slip of paper that Issun called a Vengeance Slip, while Ammy used Sunrise to turn some tiny mushrooms into giant mushrooms.

Fifth room: a bridge. Nothing else.

Sixth room: a much longer bridge. They slowly began crossing, until, "H-Hey furballs, hold on a sec. My nose's been all itchy ever since those giant mushrooms back there…" Chase tensed for some unknown reason. "Ah…ah…AH-CHOO! DANG IT!" At that moment, the bridge started crumbling. Thank God they made it to the door in time.

Seventh room: a long drop, though they could see the bottom. Ammy jumped down, and after some hesitation, Chase followed. Amazingly, he wasn't hurt. _Guess that comes with the Tsukiterasu package._ Then he saw yet another logic-defying object. A wall with a face. "Ga-ha! I am Blockhead!" the wall _somehow_ said. "I guard this place so that all shall pass!" It took him a second to realize his mistake. "Er, wait…make that none shall pass! Do you really think you can penetrate my air-tight defense? Nothing can harm this body of mine! Of course, there _are_ those weak points of mine. A clean blow there would slay me in an instant!"

Chase face-faulted. "He's telling us this _why_?"

Ammy tilted her head to one side. "I have no idea."

Blockhead continued. "But I wouldn't be foolish enough to expose such a weakness!"

Ammy smirked, and tackled Blockhead. To Chase's undying puzzlement, he thought he saw two places flash on Blockhead. Curiosity getting the best of him, he put two dots on Blockhead.

And then the living wall got all cracked up, literally. "Huh?" he gasped. "Were my weak points so obvious? I have failed, but let it be known I died a warrior's death." Then he exploded, and a wave of energy created some logs to help them get back up. Not to mention a key appeared out of nowhere. "Is this a key?" Issun mused. "Looks kinda like an exorcising arrow…" Feeling that it was important, Chase picked the key up before heading up to the top of the room, where he found Ammy staring down a…living lock of some kind. It started to freak out when he got close. He was unprepared when the key flew out of his mouth and went straight into the lock, which exploded in a burst of light.

Room number eight was really nothing but a demon scroll, which was ignored, while room number nine had three Devil Gates, which Ammy and Chase split up to do. Chase discovered that after landing a killing blow on an imp, he could Power-Slash it to get a blue fang of some kind. He felt like they would come in handy, so he grabbed the ones he got. Sadly, once Issun saw it, he began ranting on how important and valuable those "Demon Fangs" were.

Ammy then used Sunrise to make more mushrooms grow. They followed the path above, finding…several pots that were pouring poison into the water. Without a word, Issun Power-Slashed all of them at the same time, and the water cleared up instantaneously. "Looks like the poison that was polluting this water has completely cleared up!" he then said. "Now it looks like a great place for a swim! There's even a waterfall!" I bet it'd be loads of fun to go straight down it!"

_Is he nuts?_ But then again…it did sound kinda fun…

"Ah…what I _meant_ to say was a playful dog like Ume might do that. I-I haven't forgotten what we're looking for. Have you? And of course…heh, I haven't given up on hunting some treasure, either!" First, Ammy found a map of the ruins in a box, and then they leapt down. "Woo-hoo!" Chase yelled. "That was a blast!" But the bigger waterfall after that was an even bigger blast.

There was also a few new stones leading up to a huge hole in the statue, one too neat to have been caused by decay. And so they went into room number ten.

It was huge. There were a few patches of dead grass and in the very middle of the room was some kind of floating flower bud. So they went around blooming the dead grass, and when they were done, the flower opened.

Then it got dark. "Hey, look!" Issun said. "Is that a constellation?"

_Wait…I thought we were inside? How the crag is there a constellation in a _building_?!_ This fact brought "logic-defying" to a whole new level.

But they finished the constellation anyhow. It was another monkey, this one with cymbals. He threw them into the air and did a back flip to the ground, followed by his brothers. But only one cymbal landed in his hand. He ended up running to catch the other; it was so far away that he was hidden by a boulder. After a few seconds, they heard the sound of cymbals crashing.

Then he somehow teleported in front of them, and began speaking. _"Ah, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. I, Tsutagami, the last in the triumvirate of Hanagami flora gods, have humbly awaited your glorious returns for 100 years. May the fresh spring growth bloom from your snow-white and night-black forms. Bring new life to the land that suffers under evil."_

And so they had another brush technique. "That was Tsutagami, the third and final god of flora!" Issun announced. "He's the god that can make vines do his bidding! One folktale tells how Tsutagami used that power to tie vines to his body so that he could fly through the air." He looked at the flower. "Hey, that's a Konahana Blossom, the flower of the gods over there!" He paused. "So, uh, how do you guys do it?"

"Like this," Ammy said, drawing a line from the flower to her. A vine shot from the flower, attached to her, and yanked her to the flower. _Oh. That's cool._

Long story short, they hiked up using the vines. And had to go up even more after getting back into the main room, on a vine attached to the side of the statue.

Finally they got to the top of the statue's head, where four Konohana Blossoms that were upside down floated. It took only a minute to figure the puzzle out—attaching vines to the hooks on the cap-thing on the statue, which lifted it up to reveal a hole.

Inside the hole were a ton of small wooden statues, a long hallway, and an Origin Mirror. As soon as they got into the hallway, the air suddenly felt very tense, like a something-bad's-gonna-happen feeling. "I don't like this at all," mumbled Issun from Ammy's fur.

The candles on either side of the hall went out as they passed, a sign that someone—or something—knew they were coming. Not to mention the big, creepy door that opened for them. "Are we really going in there?" Issun asked.

"Yep," Chase said, looking ahead.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

All right! Let's go for it! Leap first, think later!" They walked forward silently. But after a bit, something didn't seem…right. So of course, they looked down—to see no ground. They instantly plummeted about twenty feet down, Ammy landing on her back and Chase on his stomach. He looked at Ammy, and saw that she had probably the biggest jaw-drop he'd ever seen on a living thing. "Owww!" Issun moaned. "Nice goin', furballs!"

A giant rumble made them look up. "Hey, something moved. Whoa…check out this big 'ol flower." Issun jumped onto the said flower. "We just might've stumbled onto something big here! Flowers like this are usually just _packed_ with treasure!" Then Chase noted a giant…something…rise up. Ammy apparently noticed too, but Chase reacted on a hair-trigger instinct, dashing up and grabbing the sprite in his mouth and jumping off. Now he knew why Ammy spit Issun out so quickly—he tasted awful. Some instinct made him do a backflip in mid-air—he had no idea how he did it, though he was aware of a small burning sensation on his tail.

"Hey, lemme go, wolf breath!" Issun yelled, Chase complying by spitting him out. "Yuck, I'm all covered in your slobber!"

_And I have the terrible taste of Issun in my mouth._

The flower closed and the thing along with seven others started to gather behind the bud.

"Check out that shadow! I see eight—wait, it couldn't be…?" Issun's sentence stopped there.

He didn't have to wonder for long, for the things turned out to be hands. "Are you the dogs that have been sniffing about?" a hoarse—although definitely female—voice asked. "I will not allow you to ruin my master's triumphant return!" The monster soon revealed herself to be a _huge _spider. Ammy simply sat down and yawned, while Chase just sat down. "Sticking your noses where they do not belong will get you killed. Speak your last words, fools!"

"Why should we be frightened when your true form is a flower, O Spider Queen?" Ammy said, apparently knowing who the giant spider was.

The Spider Queen took that as an insult. "How dare you! Dog is not usually on my menu, but I shall make you an exception!" She growled. Though compared to a Monsuno like Lock or Driftblade, it was pathetic.

"Whaddya talking about?" Issun yelled. "I saw that dog you gobbled up! And besides, these ain't dogs! These are gods!"

"Well, now! The beasts can speak! Very well, then! I shall send you back to where you came from!" A white, foamy substance began to froth at the corners of her mouth. "Stand still for just a moment…" she whispered, and sent streams of webbing flying in their direction. Ammy fleetfooted to the left, while Chase did to the right. And so the battle began.

Chase worked on distracting the giant spider, while Ammy went behind—though the Spider Queen noticed, and jumped up and landed where she could face both of them. "I would never have thought that I would have to stoop to venom," she seethed, dredging up a cocoon. Though Chase, seeing an opportunity, Power-Slashed it. It splattered over the monster's face, the toxic fumes and substance causing her to sway and drop onto the ground, unconscious.

"There's our chance, furballs! You can use vines on those hooks!" Issun shouted from his position on Ammy's head. So they complied, revealing…a bunch of eyes. Yuck.

But with the both of them working on it, the Spider Queen didn't last long. The beast picked itself up, screeched loudly once, and dropped, bursting into petals.

* * *

_And thus, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu were able to traverse the vine-covered ruins and defeat the devious Spider Queen lurking within. The ugly arachnid's body had been turned into a beautiful blossom and a feeling of tranquility reigned throughout the ruins. Inside the hearty blossom was discovered a tiny and defenseless dog, presumably consumed by the fearsome queen. Just when everything had begun to settle down…Snarling Beast, a sacred weapon long sealed away by the Spider Queen's magic, appeared before Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu's eyes._

* * *

"The Spider Queen was hiding a Divine Instrument! Tricky old hag," Issun commented. "Hmm…maybe we'll get more weapons if we defeat some other monsters! Anyway, I can't wait to see what this one does." He abruptly changed topics. "Look at that. The dog's just sleeping! Wonder if this is Ume. You know, the dog that kid was looking for. Let's bring him back once he wakes up! But first…how about a good victory howl? It might even wake him up! Whaddaya say, furballs?" He unsheathed Denkomaru.

In response, the two of them threw their heads back and let out long, joyous howls. _Maybe I could get used to this. But…the others…_


	10. Chapter IX: Taka Pass 高宮平

Kokari ran up to them as soon as they got out of the ruins. "Bad doggies! Gimme back my key! I gotta go save Ume! Quick!" he yelled. He then froze, staring at what Ammy was holding by the scruff in her mouth. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't imagining it. "Ume? Is that really you? Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? It must've been so scary all alone." Ammy dropped Ume and he got into a battle stance. "What's wrong, Ume?"

"About your dog, kid…" Issun started. "He was deep within the ruins and he didn't seem to wanna leave."

"Really? How come, Ume? You mad at me for running away without you?"

"Ya got it all wrong, kid. You only _think _you left your dog behind. Truth is, he decided to stay at the ruins himself."

"He did? But why?"

"Maybe he was trying to set an example by showing how anyone, even a dog, could have an adventure." Kokari hung his head at that. "Look at it this way-there's not much separating a boy from a man. They grow up before you know it and accomplish great things."

Kokari finally replied. "I see…so, I guess you knew everything, Ume. Like how my dad told me to go fix the bridge destroyed by the storm. And how I tried to get out of it because I was scared of failing. But your fearless adventure has changed me. You've given me the courage to stop shirking responsibility!" Then Ume pulled out a red fishing pole from literally out of nowhere. "My dad's fishing pole!" Kokari exclaimed. "I lost that in the forest some time ago! Did you sniff it out in those ruins? All by yourself? Well, I'm gonna fix that bridge all by myself! Boy, is dad gonna be surprised!" And then they ran off. _This I gotta see,_ Chase thought, running after them, his companions racing after him.

"Hey!" Kokari shouted when he noticed him, Ammy, and Issun. "I lassoed the rope to the other side. Look!"

"Hey, you there! Get that rope out of my way!" a familiar voice yelled. _Was that Susano?_

It was. "Huh? Susano?" Issun asked in disbelief. "What's going on?"

"My new secret technique-imploding barrel, flying monkeys-was a flop. I ended up being washed downstream on this tree trunk!"

"Here he comes! Hold onto that fishing pole, kid!" Ammy grabbed onto Kokari and Chase grabbed onto Ammy's tail. "No, wait! Let go of it!" Issun changed his mind.

"Too late for that now!" Chase said through clenched teeth.

"No you guys! I said let go!" At the last second, a thought passed through Chase's mind. Waka had said something about a "log and big thrills"…

_Ah crag,_ he thought right as the log smashed into the rope. It sent all of them flying into the air. Kokari caught onto Susano's sword, Ammy grabbed onto Kokari, Chase grabbed onto Ammy, and he felt Issun cling to his tail for dear life.

"C-Chase! Use your Celestial Brush, and quick!"

And so he began linking passing Konohana Blossoms to the vines on the log. But it was very difficult, since the log was moving so fast. After a bit, Chase was aware of Issun climbing onto his head. "Uh, Chase? Ya might wanna hurry…"

"Why?"

"We're about twenty seconds away from going over a waterfall! And this one doesn't look as fun as the ones back in the Tsuta Ruins!"

_CRAG! _Chase's eyes darted around anxiously and he saw one more. Moving lightning-fast, he connected it. For an agonizing moment he thought he wasn't fast enough, because they started going over…but the log slowed to a stop. Then it was shot into the air by the vines' tension. All of them hit the ground, and the log conveniently landed where the old bridge had been with a _CRASH!_

"Phew…I thought we were goners," Issun said in between gasps. "But it all worked out. Just look at that new bridge!"

"Did I do that?" Kokari asked in amazement.

"Heh-heh, that's right! It was all you, kid!"

Chase gained a shocked look. "_Hey!_ _I_ was the one who saved us!"

The sprite ignored him. "I don't know what was eating you, but…you'll never get anywhere in life running from adventure! You should thank your dog for teaching you that!"

Kokari turned toward his dog and hugged him. "I couldn't have done it without you, Ume! Thanks!"

"Hey, where'd pops go?" Issun changed the topic. "I'm sure it'd take much more than that to kill the guy. He's bound to pop up somewhere again!" On the other shore, they found a treasure chest that had a scroll describing about a technique called "Ink Bullet."

"Hey Chase," Issun said, "I bet Ink Bullet goes along with Snarling Beast. Ammy already has the Devout Beads, so why don't you take the reflector?" Chase nodded, and equipped the other Divine Instrument as his main, putting Divine Requital as his sub. "Taka Pass lies ahead. Great plains in the mountains. Let's prepare for the worst…but hope for the best! Well, let's get going!"

* * *

Of course there was a cursed-zone waiting for them. "So Taka Pass has been cursed, too…" Issun mused. "I bet we'll find a withered Guardian Sapling around here."

They moved forward, passing a tea shop and a merchant, when they came to a caved-in mine entrance. One quick Cherry-Bomb from Ammy cleared that up.

And when they came to a clearing, they heard a flute. _Oh God no._ Sure enough, Waka was standing on top of a rail. "Hark! The call of the heavens, the earth, the sea! They call me forth to defeat evil!"

"Waka…" Ammy said.

Said person jumped to the ground and turned towards us. "Waka, the gods' gift to man is here! _Bonjour_!"

"You again?" Issun asked in annoyance.

"Long time no see!" Waka said and made some sparkles. "Did you enjoy the little log adventure I prophesized?"

"Why you…!" Issun's glow turned read and Ammy got into a battle stance. Chase _had been_ in battle stance. "Were you behind that near disaster?"

"Moi? Of course not! I just had a fleeting glimpse of your future. You see, I have the power to see which is yet to come. Even if it were something you'd rather not know…"

Ammy got out of her battle stance, and Issun's glow returned to green. Chase stayed in battle mode. "The half-baked prophet's at it again…if you're so great, then how come ya didn't predict Orochi's return?"

Ammy tilted her head. "He has a point."

Waka didn't answer.

"Heh-heh. What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" After a few seconds of silence, Waka flipped his hat thing and made more sparkles. "Excusez-moi? You say something, my little bouncing friend?"

Issun turned red again and pulled his sword out. "That's it!"

"By the way, I saw your battle with the spider lady." Waka switched topics. "A rather clumsy attempt, I must say."

"Hey!" Chase exclaimed, and Ammy growled quietly.

Waka turned around. "After all, how could a washed-up old wolf and a deity who can't even remember his own signature technique possibly expect to save the world?" He turned around and pointed his flute at them. "Ridiculous!"

"What? You were spying on our battle?" Issun bounced up to Waka. "And it never once crossed your mind that you could help out?"

"Enough talk!" Waka pulled out his sword. "There's only one way to settle this." He struck three battle poses before yelling, "Just go for it!"

Waka threw a dagger, which Chase immediately knocked back with a Power-Slash, and Ammy went in for close-combat. And while Ammy was keeping Waka busy, he ran up and used one of the small "Exorcism Slips" as Issun called them. The resulting blast looked like it hurt.

Eventually things just seemed to fade out, and before Chase knew it, Waka had retreated onto the huge boulder, panting. "Not bad, _mes amis_."

"Whaddya mean, not bad?" Issun asked. "You're all outta breath!" He paused, and added, "Whaddya want, anyways?"

"Oh, I almost forgot! I had a question for you," Waka said. "Have you been to Lake Harami over on Shinshu Field yet?" He didn't wait for an answer. "In the middle stands the Moon Cave, where Orochi's spirit was trapped. A barrier has blocked the entrance ever since Tsukuyomi was removed. That means Orochi must still be in there. I want to get through the barrier and enter the cave…but I'll need the Serpent Crystal in order to do that. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find it, would you?"

"Why d'ya have to pull out your sword just to ask that?" Issun questioned. "And why d'ya wanna visit Orochi's lair, anyway?"

"So then, you do not know? _Très bien_. Hm…so that big windmill…" He started mumbling to himself. "At any rate, I shall just have to find it myself. But before I bid you adieu, I have another prophecy for you." He acted like he was looking for something. "I foresee a DOG-gone difficult quest…au revoir, baby!" And then he left.

_Did he really have to make that into a pun?_

"Hey Ammy, Chase! Let's try to beat Waka to that Serpent Crystal! I can't help feeling he's up to no good! Plus, we might just find a new Celestial Brush technique, too!"

After that, they were all quiet. Chase thought about what Waka said: _"After all, how could a washed-up old wolf and a deity who can't even remember his own signature technique possibly expect to save the world? Ridiculous!"_

Chase's eyes narrowed. _My signature technique…Issun said it was Moonrise. How am I supposed to do it?_ He sighed. _Maybe it'll come back to me. I hope it will. _

Ammy's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Tsukiterasu…are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah. I'm okay."

Apparently she knew he was lying, for she said, "What's wrong?"

Chase gave in. "What Waka said. I can't even remember my own technique."

Ammy tilted her head, and then said, "I do remember a few things. For one, _you_ were the one in the legend to make the clouds clear and the moon come out. _You_ were the one who allowed Nagi to vanquish Orochi, Chase Suno."

"How do you know my last name?" Chase asked, stunned. He never had mentioned it to Ammy.

The sun goddess smiled. "We're counterparts, remember?"

Issun's voice broke up the conversation. "Hey furballs, you gonna fix the Guardian Sapling or not?" Ammy nodded at Chase, who replied by using Bloom on the withered tree. No words could describe what he saw then. They were able to see the whole restoration from their vantage point. "Taka Pass is back to normal now!" Issun announced. "Without the cursed zone, it'll be easier to find brush techniques! But first, that big windmill has really piqued my interest. Didn't that half-baked prophet mumble something about it? Aw, whatever. It's not going anywhere, anyhow. Let's take a good look around Taka Pass, okay? I'm a bit worried about the people who live here."

* * *

As they were dashing through the fields, a voice stopped them. "Hey, hey, hey! Stop right there! How dare you walk around our turf without permission?" Chase turned to see the source of the voice—a giant mole with a blue bandana tied around his neck. "I won't let you get away with it! I'm Moley of the Molsters!" _I'm not even surprised by this stuff anymore._ "All of the territory beneath Taka Pass is under our control. We can't just allow people to come wandering in as they please. How are we supposed to relax with intruders like you around? I'll have to get you to leave some of those gold-colored things used in shops!"

"Huh? Oh, I get it…" Issun said. "You're just a pack of thieves extorting money. Well, pigs'll fly before you shake us down! We should teach you a lesson!"

"Hah. You've got some nerve," the mole replied. "Fine! If that's the way you want it. You'll regret this! Come on, men! Molsters! The special dust cloud formation!"

It was sad, really. Chase Power-Slashed Moley when he got up, giving Ammy a chance to smack him with her head.

"I don't understand it!" Moley cried. "How do you manage to stand up to our special dust cloud trick?"

"Had enough of hard-headed Ammy?" Issun asked Moley. "That'll teach you. Don't mess with the gods, fur face! Crime doesn't pay, remember that! I expect you guys to stay on the straight and narrow now!"

"I do know the difference between right and wrong. It's just that…well, I was lonely."

_And that drove him to steal money?_

"No matter how long I wait down here, no one has come to see me. That's why I behaved the way I did. I just wanted to get your attention, that's all. Please, doggies? Will you be my friends? I promise I'll behave myself from now on. Honest! You're just what I need, doggies!"

"Uh…this is gettin' stranger by the minute," Issun said.

Moley started sobbing. "I know I shouldn't show my feelings like this. I'll go back underground now and shed my tears in private. I suppose it's goodbye, then. Come back and visit soon, won't you, doggies?" He threw them a gold-colored teacup before burrowing off.

"Isn't this what the tea-shop owner was looking for?" Chase queried. "I'll go bring it to him."

But as he was going, he noticed something strange. It looked like…like a gold shimmer in the air, like a patch had been cut out. On the other side of the patch was…whiteness. Like _snow_-type whiteness. _No way…_ Curiosity getting the better of him, Chase poked his head through. And he actually yelped. Though he was standing firmly in Taka Pass, his eyes were seeing what was definitely Northpoint. His own world.

"Tsuki, whaddya lookin' at?" He heard Issun behind him, and pulled his head out of the patch to look at them.

Ammy looked hard at the gold patch, and without warning, jumped through. "H-Hey Ammy! Wait up!" Issun bounced through, and Chase heard him exclaim, "Holy smokes!"

Taking a deep breath, Chase jumped through as well. And the strangest sensation came over him. It was a warm feeling, kind of, as well as a strange tingling sensation, like static. He felt a jolt, and then he was aware that he was tumbling. _Owww…_ he groaned mentally when he came to a stop. Then he was aware that he had _hands_ instead of paws.


	11. Chapter X: Ice 北へ

Chase's mind went blank for a few moments as he studied himself. _I hope I'm not hallucinating…_ He looked himself over fully, and found that his guess ran true. He was himself once again…well, human again at least. He still had his same clothing, although he noticed that a simple pitch-black brush was in one pocket, and when he took it out to study it, it dripped white ink—though there was no stain on his jacket. The teacup was in his other pocket. And his necklace now had two disc-like charms—Divine Requital and Snarling Beast in a smaller, easy-to-carry form.

"Sheesh it got cold all of a sudden!" he heard Issun exclaim, and he looked up to see Ammy studying the surroundings. They were facing the ocean, a pier stretching out. Not to mention a boat was leaving. "Hey, Tsuki, are you—what the?!" Ammy had turned her head to look at him, and Issun had frozen in mid-bounce, resulting in him falling back to Ammy's head.

In response to their reactions, Chase grinned, and then said, "Yeah, this is what I'm supposed to look like. And this 'realm' is where I come from. And before you say _anything_ Issun, my real name's Chase."

But apparently, even though he was in the form of a human, he must've still had wolf-hearing. Because he heard a _familiar_ voice say, "Sheesh, I didn't notice we were here already!" _Was that…Dax?_

"Yeah, but we have less than eleven hours!" That was Bren.

He looked at the pier again, and saw all four of his friends in warm clothing. And…his father?! Jinja seemed to sense that they were being watched, and looked. She froze, then exclaimed, "Chase?!"

That got the others looking, and within a three-point-five seconds, Chase had been tackled down by Bren, who was yelling something that sounded like "Holykragwherehaveyoubeen?!"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down B! It's a bit of a stretch-story," Chase explained as the others ran up.

"Chase," his dad started, looking a mixture of relieved and confused. "I'm glad to see you're okay."

Chase opened his mouth to say something, and then noticed Ammy out of the corner of his eye, studying Bren.

Said controller looked slowly to the side, stared at Ammy a whole second, and then leaped up with a shriek. "Chase, there's a wolf right there!"

"I know that. Don't sweat—she doesn't bite."

He then noticed that Issun seemed to be staring at Jinja. Chase then reached over and flicked the sprite off of Ammy's head. "_Hey!_" Issun yelled.

The rest of Team Core-Tech all stared at the green speck that had spoken. "Did that bug just talk?" Dax asked no one in particular.

"_I'm not a bug, darn it!_ The name's Issun!"

Chase then heard something that sounded like a cross between a whimper and a growl from Ammy. He looked, and said sun goddess was looking intently at Beyal…who had an eerie blank look to him. Issun, after getting back to his position on Ammy's head, said, "That kid's got the same blank look as you Ammy!" before bursting out laughing.

Of course Chase knew something was wrong. Not only by Beyal's blank look…he just _knew_. Ammy made the whimper-growl again, and barked once. Beyal blinked. Ammy made a soft growl, and then barked loudly—and the bark itself seemed to be energy-charged. In response, Beyal flinched back, and shook his head.

"Beyal?" Jinja asked in a worried tone.

The monk blinked rapidly a few times, and looked around. Then, he asked, "Where…where are we?"

"Northpoint," Jinja replied, sounding relieved. Chase smiled a bit, even though he didn't what it was about. He then noted something worrying.

"Ammy, Issun…" he started, his eyes widening as he looked toward the mountains.

"What—_oh_."

Reason being was that the area was one giant cursed-zone. "Holy krag!" Dax exclaimed. "What happened?"

"I'll explain as we go," Chase muttered, and started toward the area that looked clear. "C'mon—we've got a tree to find."

"What tree?"

* * *

And so Chase explained everything—er, almost anything. He left the part out about him being Ammy's counterpart and also knowing the brush techniques. No need to hype them up about it.

"So…" Jeredy started, staring at Ammy, who was trotting along beside them, sniffing about. "This wolf…is the sun god?" He sounded disbelieving.

"Sun _goddess_," Chase corrected, eyes narrowing a bit involuntarily.

Beyal kept on staring at Ammy. "Hey kid," Issun finally spoke up. "Why d'ya keep staring at furball like that?" Beyal didn't respond, but hesitantly reached out and brushed a finger against the Divine Retribution. Issun seemed to realize something. "Hold it—can you see Ammy's true form?"

"Yes." Beyal's voice was quiet. "I can see the markings." Jinja, Bren, and Dax all paused and looked at Beyal in a weird way.

"I'm not hallucinating, then!" Bren cheered. Both Jinja and Dax looked relieved.

_They…can see Ammy's marks? _Chase thought. Something more worrying hit him then.

Beyal continued. "But what I do not understand is…" He looked at Chase, who slightly shook his head, mentally saying, _No, please don't say it._

But of course…

"…is why Chase has markings as well." Said controller face-palmed. Now Jinja, Bren, and Dax were staring at Chase as well. But…his father apparently didn't see anything.

"Chase?" Jinja started.

He looked at Issun, who caught on and said, "I'll explain it. Chase, you go ahead and look for that Guardian Sapling that's probably around here."

Chase, in response, dashed ahead quickly. _If I was a Guardian Sapling…where would I be in Northpoint?_ He looked to one side, and saw a cracked wall. _In a cave. Of course._ One quick Cherry-Bomb and the wall was obliterated, revealing the withered tree. _Though how it got here I will never know._

The others ran up. "I heard something blow up!" Bren announced. Then, he said, "And you have special powers?"

"Uh, kinda. And believe me, you've gotta see this to believe it. Ammy?"

Taking the cue, Ammy flicked her tail and drew a circle. In seconds, the sapling burst into flowers—the others' reactions: "_Wow!_"—and the resulting energy banished the cursed-zone. Sadly they couldn't see much this time, but it was still gone.

"That was awesome!" Bren exclaimed.

"Yeah lil' Suno!" Dax agreed. "Where do you find these guys—er, wolf in this case?"

Chase shrugged happily. "Dunno, but I guess it's just luck." Meanwhile, Jeredy simply had a look of pure shock on his face.

"Hang on," Jinja said. "We have something to discuss, _Tsuki_."

Chase flinched, and then smiled nervously. "Uh…I can explain."

"You better."

After a minute, Jinja summed it up. "So…when you vanished, you got sent into this logic-defying place called 'Nippon' where you were a wolf."  
"Uh-huh."

She sighed. "Chase Suno, what are we going to do with you?"

Chase laughed a bit, and was cut off by Issun saying, "Hey, look at this cave!" Core-Tech all turned their heads to see Ammy staring into the depths of a cave.

"Do you guys think that's the cave Master Ey told us about?" Bren asked.

"The Cave of Convergence?" Beyal queried.

"Yeah, that."  
"Well, one way to find out!" Issun said. "Heh-heh…I bet there's some kind of treasure in a place with that kind of name, too!"

* * *

A long tunnel. That's all it was at first. _At first_. Then, Issun called, "I see a light!"

What they saw was amazing. There were huge green crystals everywhere, as well as a few statues. "Holy smoke!" Issun exclaimed. "Some of these crystals would get a fortune back in Nippon! Get some of 'em, will ya Ammy?"

Chase ignored them. His attention was pinpointed on a stone door of some kind. Apparently it got the rest of his team's attention too. Something…was telling him to put his hand on it. Heck, there were even five handprints on the door.

Almost in a trance, the five of them stepped forward, and put their hands on the door. As soon as they did, five marks seemed to shimmer in the air over their hands, although there was an extra over Chase's—one that looked sorta like a crescent. Suddenly, multiple blue lines shot up from the handprints, joining together at one point at the center of the door. A pattern flashed—five symbols on the edges, and in the center, a circle with a flame design and a crescent at one side. The door then glew with an intensity that rivaled Ammy's Sunrise, and when it faded, the door was gone.

Ammy barked suddenly and dashed inside—leaving plant growth that would never grow in this weather—at Issun's protest of "Whoa Ammy!"

It really didn't help that Chase had the same urge. "Well?" he started, looking back and forth. "Let the expedition begin."

Sadly, they were unaware that they were being watched by four different people, though in two separate groups. "Well sir," one, an older man with gray hair, "It seems they found the entrance to the lost valley."

The one with him, a bald man, nodded. "They've led me right to it." Standing up, he said, "Come, Hargrave." He started toward the entrance.

A little way behind them, the other two stood watching. "You were right, Commandant Charlemagne," one exclaimed. It was a man with black hair. "It _is_ Klipse. He's trailing the Suno boy as well—though where he's been is beyond me."

The one with him—a woman with blond hair and yellow eyes, then said, "Two predators after the same prey…" Her voice betrayed a German accent. "And Jeredy Suno as well…this day is going quite vell."

But what all four of the others felt was that they now—for some unknown reason—_sensed_ a strange power in the boy, one that was beyond any Monsuno that could ever be created. Also this power came from the white wolf—which all those who were bonded to a Monsuno could see had crimson markings and a green disc with red flames circling it


	12. XI: Wellspring and Kusa Village 泉とクサナギ村

The walk was of silence. Bren finally broke it by saying, "The thing about tunnels is that they never lead to anything good." Chase was silent, remembering the tunnel at the Tsuta Ruins that lead up to Spider Queen. Bren continued, "It's always traps, or vicious beasts, or—"

He stopped mid-sentence. Ammy stopped mid-step. Issun stopped mid-bounce. "_Whoa…_" Core-Tech besides Beyal and plus Issun exclaimed as one.

"Behold, my friends," Beyal said. "The Valley of the Five Tribes." Jeredy said the second part at the same time as the white-haired teen.

The valley was humongous. A dense jungle was at the outer rim of it, and in the center was this _huge_ crater-lake type thing filled to the brim with Monsuno essence. In the center was an island of sorts, and hovering roughly hundred feet above the island was a huge crystal, apparently crystalized Monsuno essence.

They walked out a little way. Behind them—though they were not aware of it—were Klipse and Hargrave, and behind them were Charlemagne and Trey, although the former said something to the latter—who ran back out—before moving slightly forward herself. All of them were in the valley.

Though Chase was aware of a strange, déjà vu-esque feeling. "Uh…" Issun's voice sounded weird. "Guys? _Look down._"

They all did as told—and froze. Why?

They were all standing thirty feet up on thin air. And subsequently, all ten—eleven counting Issun— in the valley plummeted to the ground, although Ammy tried to swim in mid-air first.

Chase groaned. _Again…it happened again. But that's never happened before in my own world! We must've brought some of Nippon's logic-defyingness with us…_

He looked around. If anything, Ammy had a bigger jaw-drop then the time in Tsuta Ruins. His friends had picked themselves up, unharmed somehow. Bren was trembling slightly. "Uh," he started in a surprisingly calm voice. "Did we really just defy the law of gravity right there?"

Chase shrugged. "That stuff doesn't even surprise me anymore. It happens when you're stuck in a place that defies all logic." Quieter, he added, "Technically _I _defy all logic…"

Issun groaned. "Nice goin' guys! I keep telling you both not to space out like that!"

"You've _never_ told us that, Issun."

Issun ignored him, instead changing topics. "Uh, who are they?"

Chase turned to look, and almost had a heart attack.

Klipse and Hargrave were about seven feet behind them, and about five feet behind them were Charlemagne and Trey. Said two appeared to be still processing that they had just temporarily defied the law of gravity. As such with Klipse and Hargrave.

And then another déjà vu feeling. The hair on the back of Chase's neck stood up. "Is anyone else here getting a creepy feeling?" he asked.

As if in response, the whole area darkened, and an incredible amount of pressure seemed to creep into the air, as if they were all being crushed. _What…?_ Somehow it felt familiar.

He was then aware that Bren had screamed at the top of his lungs, which to Chase's knowledge, happened quite often—except this time it was two or three octaves higher.

Reason being?

A humongous, silver-scaled dragon-like _thing_ burst out of the ground with an ear-shattering roar, causing a few stalactites to crash to the ground. It was roughly the size of Spider Queen. It turned its sickly-yellow eyes to them, and spoke in a hoarse, grating voice. "Well, well, well…Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu." His—as the voice was male—tongue flicked out at them like a snake's. "And I see you've brought a few humans with you. I was getting hungry anyways." It grinned, showing fangs that made Driftblade's blades look like plastic toy knives. It stomped one foot on the ground, not only cracking the stones but also making them bounce up slightly. Amazingly, Issun spoke.

"Hey lizard-breath! Who are you, anyway?"

"I? I am Giyu!" Giyu punctuated it with a roar. "And none of you shall leave my domain alive!"

"_Your _domain?" Finally Ammy spoke. Of course the others only heard barks and growls. "This is a sacred place. You do not belong here, O Silver Demon Dragon."

"We shall see about that, O Sun Goddess Amaterasu and Moon God Tsukiterasu," Giyu hissed in return, ending with a threatening growl that sounded like a rockslide. "You shall pay dearly for what you and Tsukiterasu did to me one-hundred years ago!"

And so it began.

First thing Giyu did was lunge forward and try to snap at them. Ammy and Chase dashed to either side, while the rest of Core-Tech jumped backwards. "Boost, launch!" Dax cried, spinning one of his cores out. "Tracer Assault!"

But as the Monsuno used the attack, it was simply deflected by Giyu's scales. "Fools!" he roared. "Nothing can penetrate my armor!" He then clawed at the Monsuno, instantly turning it back to essence.

"Oh, _shut up_!" Chase shouted, reacting on impulse and drawing a Cherry-Bomb. Ammy did the same, and both detonated in Giyu's face in a burst of heat and sparks. Of course he heard exclaims from everyone else at the two bombs appearing from _freaking nowhere_ and detonating.

The dragon stumbled a bit, and then his head crashed onto the ground. "Now's your chance guys!" Issun cried. "Teach snake-breath there a lesson!"

Chase was about to, and then hesitated. How was he supposed to use either of his reflectors in this case? _But who says I have to use Divine Requital or Snarling Beast?_ A few Power-Slashes would suffice. So that's what he did, while Ammy brutally smashed Giyu on the head with both Divine Retribution and Devout Beads. Chase paused a moment. _Huh, Rosaries work like whips. _He smirked a bit at the irony, and for good measure drew another Cherry-Bomb. All this did was snap Giyu out of his stupor, and he shook his head before rearing back.

"To think I would have to resort to this," he growled, and jumped off of the island, landing behind them all.

Meanwhile, Klipse backed off a bit, and said, "Hargrave, we must leave."

"Sir, what about the Well? And Jeredy Suno?"

"We will come back later. It is not safe right now."

Also at that moment, Trey looked at Charlemagne. "Ma'am—what should we do?"

"Vhat do you think?" She took out Driftblade's core, and looked as if she was about to launch it—

Ammy intervened. "You'll just be killed! Get away from here!" she barked at her.

But of course, they couldn't understand her…although they did stare at her for a few moments. Could they see the markings too…?

Chase shook his head while drawing another Cherry-Bomb in Giyu's face. Like last time, he fell to the ground, dazed. Except not only did he have Ammy on him with her Divine Instruments and Chase with Power-Slashes, he also had the rest of Core-Tech with their Monsuno—Longfang, Whipper, Airswitch, and Glowblade.

Finally, Giyu just couldn't handle the damage any longer. He picked himself up, as if to attack, but gave out a roar, and crashed to the cave floor, causing all of them to bounce up a little.

A few seconds passed by. "Is it over?" Jeredy asked no one in particular.

Then, as if in response, the body of the demon-dragon dissolved into flower petals, just like most other monsters did. "I guess so!" Issun said. "Let's hear one of those victory howls, Ammy!"

And the wolf complied.

* * *

_And so it was that the Silver Demon Dragon, Giyu, was finally slain after almost two-hundred years, and in a realm in which he did not originally exist in. As the breath left the beast's body, a calm swept over the legendary Valley of the Five Tribes. The remainder of Team Core-Tech all watched on, pondering what they had learned about their leader—that he was the reborn form of Tsukiterasu. Jeredy Suno, on the other hand, was considering what he had seen—did it tie in with the Monsuno Essence in some way, perhaps? Also watching on was Charlemagne. She couldn't quite comprehend what she had witnessed at the time. And when they thought all the excitement was over, Life Beads, a Divine Instrument lost since the Age of Myths, reappeared. Andthat was not the only thing that reappeared…Moegami, a brush-god imprisoned by Giyu's dark magic, was free at last._

* * *

Chase stared at the Rosary that had appeared in a flash of light, where Giyu had been. He picked it up, studying it. As soon as he touched it, he knew it was called "Life Beads," though he didn't know how. The Divine Instrument flashed, and vanished. He then noticed that his necklace had been replaced with the Rosary, both reflectors still on it as charms. He grinned. "And that's that."

Suddenly things went dark. "What now?" Bren exclaimed, looking up nervously. "And why did it get dark suddenly?"

Chase knew what it meant, though. _A brush-god? Here? How?_

Ammy stared up, and raised her tail to filling the blanks. When she did, the constellation flared a bright blue, revealing a bird of some kind. And even when the bird switched colors to match Chase's wolf-form colorings, the tips of its feathers remained a flame-red. It split itself off of the constellation, flaming as it twirled down. When it broke out of its free-fall, the phoenix caught what appeared to be a pipe before flying toward them and stopping, hovering in the air. _"Ah…Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. Sealed away by the dark forces, I have spent years in this legendary valley in this other realm. Time passed, but I was unable to make my way to freedom. But now, your powers have lifted the seal that imprisoned me. I, Moegami, god of flames, lend you my fiery power. Burn a new source of light into the obscuring darkness!"_ When he finished, he did the traditional split-into-two-kanji-orbs thing and both Chase and Ammy received one.

"Whoa! Never expected to find a brush-god _here_ of all places!" Issun exclaimed. "And we just got a really powerful ally—Moegami is the most fearsome of the brush-gods! Its technique, known as Inferno, can burn practically anything to ashes! We've gotta try it later—hey…"

Chase followed Issun's gaze. The others from Core-Tech followed, and they saw a gold shimmer in the air. _Is that…?_ Issun said, "Yeah…that's like the thing we used to get here." The sun goddess trotted over to it, and sniffed. "Looks like Kusa Village on the other side." Ammy turned to Chase. He knew what she was going to say.

"Yeah, I know," he said quietly. Taking a deep breath, he said to his friends, "Guys? Hate saying this, but I kinda got stuff to do in Nippon. Important stuff."

They were silent. Then Jinja said, "Well, where to then?"

"Huh?" Chase stared at them. All of them had determined looks.

"We're a team, remember?" Jinja continued.

Bren then added, "And friends stick together!" Beyal had the same look to him, and so did Dax.

Chase was stunned. _They'll come with me to a place they don't even know a darn thing about…well, like B said…we are a team._ He nodded. "Let's go, then."

And they went through. Unaware that they would be followed.

* * *

Kusa Village seemed to be in low spirits, despite there being no cursed-zone, Chase noted. Every single plant was withered and dry. The air seemed hard to breathe, and just felt _dark_ in general. Not to mention he was a wolf again.

"Yikes, what happened here?" Bren said to no one in particular. Then, to Chase, he added, "And…you're a wolf."

"Issun told you that," Chase said, even though he knew they just heard a bark.

Issun went on like they hadn't spoken at all. "Yikes! What's this creepy evil atmosphere in this village? There's no cursed zone, but I definitely sense evil."

Chase looked over at Ammy, who seemed to be taking it worse. Her legs were shaking, and her head was low. "Ammy, you okay?"

"I don't know…" At that moment, she lost her markings and Divine Instruments with a poof of white smoke. At that exact moment, Chase lost his markings and Divine Instruments with a poof of black smoke.

"Ah krag," he muttered. _Great, we can't use our brush techniques or weapons. There better not be any monsters around…_

They stopped to talk to the merchant, who said, "Of all the luck! I wanted to do some trading over at the Gale Shrine. But it's been taken over by some monster and its panic all around! Oh well. I suppose I'll just have to make the best of it for now. Do you want to do some shopping?" Bren wound up getting a few souvenir pinwheels, while Ammy got a few more Exorcism Slips. Those things were very useful.

"Why'd you get those?" Issun asked. "They're worthless!"

"I wanted a souvenir, okay?" Bren defended.

"_Two _souvenirs?"

Chase decided to ignore them as they continued onwards. Eventually they came to a little glade with a house on support beams, and a girl wearing a pink-and-blue kimono. She looked like she had fallen and was trying to get back up, but she couldn't get off of her knees.

"Oh, this is most unfortunate," she said. "I have been possessed in a momentary lapse of vigilance! And I was trying so hard to defend this village…" Her voice was a whisper at that point. "Now it shall be reduced to a horrid cursed zone. Alas, my strength…it wanes. All is lost…" Then a blue imp revealed itself, along with two green imps.

"Wha'—what in blue blazes are those things?" Dax exclaimed.

"Chase, we can still fight them," Ammy said.

"_How_?" Chase asked.

"We have fangs, remember?"

"Right."

And that commenced Chase beating the crud out of the two green imps—although he refrained from biting, instead using head-bashes and kicks—while Ammy leapt up and karate-kicked the blue imp out of the air, and then beat the living daylights out of it with her fangs.

Interestingly enough, the air returned to normal as soon as the blue imp died and both Chase and Ammy got their ink and weapons back in red and blue flashes of light. "Wow," he heard Jinja say. "You guys are pretty tough."

"Huh?" the girl asked as she stood up. "Have I been freed from the evil curse? You have saved me, but I do not know how."

"What the heck happened, sweetness?" Issun questioned.

"Oh…are you familiar with my family, the Satomi House?"

"Um…I can't say I've herd of it," Jinja said.

"Me either," Bren said.

"Don't look at me," Dax said.

"I am afraid not," Beyal said.

"Nope," Issun said.

"Oh," the girl said. "Still, you may be of great service to me yet. Will you not listen to what I have to say?"

"You just keep talkin', pretty lady. Issun's listening!" She gave the sprite a weird look. Ammy took the opportunity to tilt her head back and put Issun in her mouth before spitting him out. "Oh yuck! Wolf spit!"

"Ignore that," Jinja said. "Go on."

"Oh, thank you! I am Princess Fuse, priestess of the Gale Shrine. The Gale Shrine stands atop Mount Kamiji. Kazegami, the god of wind, is enshrined there. The wind blowing down from there keeps the monsters away. Known as divine wind, it is venerated as our protector. However, it suddenly stopped blowing one day. And that has allowed the monsters to sneak into our village. Even I, the last remaining priestess here, was nearly slain. That horrible monster is behind all of this! It is Crimson Helm!" All of them listened intently. "The beast now dwells within the Gale Shrine. The monsters in this area have all been under Crimson Helm's control ever since he appeared in Taka Pass one-hundred years ago."

"Wait, that monster's been here for _one-hundred years_?" Bren exclaimed.

"My people, the Satomi House, keepers of the Gale Shrine, have been battling the beast ever since…" she explained. "But last year, the fiends attacked and killed the head priest while he was weakened by sickness, and the Gale Shrine fell into their hands."

"I remember hearing that story. It was big news in these parts," Issun put in.

"If only I could vanquish Crimson Helm and free the Gale Shrine…but I am no match for the barrier that bars its entry. There is only one hope now. Only the warriors who serve the Satomi House can right this wrong! Our last hope for defeating Crimson Helm is the Satomi Canine Warriors! The Satomi Canine Warriors have protected the shrine and served the Satomi House for ages, but alas…they are now scattered throughout Nippon. If we could bring them together again, they could break the barrier and retake the shrine."

"Really?" Issun asked. "Then why don't ya just summon those puppies on back?"

"I have already tried…but I have yet to receive any word of their coming. I sense their presence nearby, but have yet to find them. What if they were attacked and injured, or even worse…I beg you, would you please find out their whereabouts?"

You might find this useful…" She pulled out a small slip of paper attached to a bell. Kanji markings covered both sides of the paper, with what Chase figured must be the seal of the Satomi house engraved on the bell. She handed it to the sun goddess, who tucked it under her Rosary.

"Leave it to us, sweetness! We'll get 'em all back without a scratch!" promised Issun.


	13. Chapter XII: Sasa Sanctuary 笹部郷

Long story short, they ran around the village, finding and feeding four of the dogs—as they were literally the _Canine_ Warriors. But as they returned to Princess Fuse's house…

"Hey, Tsu—I mean, Chase…that fleabag's givin' ya the evil eye," Issun said. "I think it noticed the Canine Tracker."  
"Issun, who wouldn't notice a flying…_thing_ circling two wolves?" Jinja asked.

Chase's ears perked when the dog began speaking. "My master, Princess Fuse, has summoned me," he growled. "But first, I wish to try out the skills I've honed on my journey. Princess Fuse forbids me to join in fruitless battles, but I want you to prove your right to bear the Canine Tracker!"

"Why you—! You've got a lotta nerve picking a fight with us! Well, bring it on, ya fleabag! Right, Chase?"

"Duh!"

Of course the others besides Issun heard a bark—as it turned out, Issun understood most animals. Including dogs and wolves.

That also meant he had been ignoring Chase saying what his actual name was.

"Yep, there was only one right answer! I dunno who this fleabag thinks he is, but he's in for one big surprise!" The Canine Warrior started off by charging him. One quick Power-Slash stopped that. And the Life Beads really proved their worth. The dog was even stunned, allowing another Power-Slash to do even more damage. He prepared to charge again, but Chase simply repeated what he had done.

Instead of Life Beads, he opened fire with Snarling Beast in a flurry, which eventually caused the Canine Warrior to jump back. "A worthy opponent, I see. Let us fight where we have more room!" he challenged.

"You hear that, Chase? Sounds like fun! This time we'll be playin' for keeps! Bring it on, fleabag! You're gonna wish you went straight back to Princess Fuse when we're done with ya! Hey, wait, if he's been summoned by the princess, then…maybe this is another one of the Satomi Canine Warriors!"

"I'm done toying with you. Now you shall feel the wrath of the Satomi Power Orb!"

"Satomi Power Orb? Bah, bring it on, dog breath! We ain't afraid!"

"Oh, Tei?" All of them looked behind said dog and saw Princess Fuse, along with the other four canine warriors—Rei, Shin, Chi, and Ko. Tei ran up to her. "I thought I heard something out here. You two aren't fighting, are you?"

"Huh? Fighting? Oh, ah, of course not!" Issun tried to cover it up.

"They got in a small scuffle. But they're both alright," Jinja said.

"Well, at least now we have five of the Satomi Power Orbs. But you've been naughty doggies!" All five dogs hung their heads in shame and whimpered. "Why did you not come here immediately when I summoned you?"

"Princess Fuse, if I may ask," Beyal started. "What are these Satomi Power Orbs you speak of?"

"Each Satomi Canine Warrior bears an orb of different virtue. The Satomi Power Orbs are the Satomi House's greatest treasure. I need the orbs' power to break Crimson Helm's barrier. But the canine warriors never listen when I summon them back! And three of them have yet to be accounted for! I fear something may have happened to them. But there is no one I could send out to help them…" She looked at them.

"Hey, why're you looking at us like that?" Dax asked.

Beyal caught on. "We would be honored to assist further," he said.

"Wonderful! I'll be forever grateful! I know the general locations of the remaining three canine warriors. If any of you have a map, I shall be able to mark their locations."

Dax handed over one that he had bought, and she painted red circles on it. "You have the canine tracker. They shall return home once you have shown it to them. That is, if they have not been injured or even worse…please, hurry. We must get the power orbs and break the barrier!"

"We will find them all, do not worry."

Once they were back in Taka Pass, they studied the map. The sun had practically set, dying everything a deep indigo. "One around here…" Bren said.

"One in…Agate Forest?" Dax said, looking at the map.

"_Agata_. And one in Kamiki," Issun finished.

"So…let's look for the one around here first," Jinja said.

_Wait,_ Chase thought. _I've been wanting to check out that creepy house down in that little valley._ He dashed down, ignoring the others. The house was _very_ creepy. There was a broken plank of wood leading up to a spot close to the roof, looking as if it had once been a second floor. There was a hole in the floor, pathetically blocked off by a few pieces of plywood. A Cherry-Bomb took care of it—he just had this strange feeling that he _had_ to blow it up.

Once he dropped in, he saw a creepy old lady sharpening a knife. Again, creepy. "Hey! What are you doing in here, you mutt?" she asked. "You've got some nerve, coming into people's houses like this." She snorted. "You wouldn't even make a decent snack. You're much too scrawny."

_I…don't know how to respond to that…_

"My husband's caught a nice tasty beast for us to feast on, anyway. When it's finally stopped tweeting, we can dig in." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ammy in the shadows. "Heh, I can hardly wait!" She looked at the spot in the house where the moon was shining, thanks to the hole in the roof. "The moon's very bright again tonight, isn't it? Moonlight can be a real nuisance for us, you know. It seems to give us strange powers and makes us show our true colors, so it makes it hard for us to keep up a pretense of normal life. And we get _so_ hungry on nights like that, too. Heh-heh-heh!" Without warning, and due to some strange impulse, Chase tackled her down, and Ammy jumped out of her hiding spot to drag her into the moonlight. An extremely creepy and disturbing shadow appeared on the wall behind her. "Aaargh! You saw me! You saw me!"

"Wh-where'd that shadow come from?" Issun asked in fear from Ammy's head. "It ain't human, whatever it is!"

"So you saw me…now I'm going to kill you! I'm going to eat you all up!"

"Bring it, ya spooks!"

They turned-tail and raced out of the house. Both the creepy lady and her equally-creepy husband followed them out. "There you are!" Jinja said. "Chase, why did you—whoa!"

She broke off in surprise when the couple turned into these bird-like monsters that vaguely resembled crows. They were using fans to fly, it looked like (not actual fans, but those old-fashioned Japanese fans), so both deity-wolves Power-Slashed them down. Chase went in to try to attack one of them, but they blocked it with a sword. Another Power-Slash took care of that, and it was quick work. He then remembered the basket that had been left inside, so he went back into the house after Ammy killed the other crow-monster. But before he got to it, he noticed something that he wondered why he didn't notice before.

His reflection from the light was that of his human self, even though he was in a wolf's body.

Ammy, who had followed in, paused. "Figured as much," Issun said. "Moonlight that intense can show something's true form. And I guess since you were born human, that would be your true form…hey Ammy, what about you?"

Ammy's shadow…was a wolf.

Chase opened the basket, and the thing that came out…was a humanoid sparrow. _Great, even more logic-defyingness…_

The sparrow girl chirped. "Oh, it was so awful being locked away by those monsters! It feels wonderful to be free again. Thanks so much. Let me pet you, doggy." She then addressed the others from Core-Tech—who had come in and were staring. Jeredy in particular. _Dad probably doesn't know how to process this stuff._ "My name's Chun, precious flower of the Sparrow Inn! I'd better get home otherwise pop will be worried about me. But…if I go alone, those monsters might catch me again. Would you come back with me to Sasa Sanctuary?"

"Bah, this brat's a handful!" Issun complained.

Jinja gave him a hard look. "Sure, we'll come," she said, still glaring at Issun.

Chun was quiet for a minute, and then turned to Issun. "Stuuupid!"

"Why you little…!" Issun fumed, even more so at Bren's, Jinja's, and Dax's laughs.

"Come on, let's go!" She chirped, flapping her tiny wings and making slow progress towards the bamboo sanctuary. Chase, Ammy, and the others patiently followed.

But as soon as they passed through a gate—a magic-gate, Chase realized—a whole face of the cliff vanished. "The weirdness continues," Bren muttered as they went down the path. There was a large sign that said "Bamboo Village Sasa Sanctuary."

"Mmm…don't ya just love the smell of bamboo?" Issun asked.

"I…guess?"

They followed the path some more until they were stopped by another sparrow. "Hey, hey! Scruffy numbers 1 and 2 and humans! What are you doing in Sasa Sanctuary?"

Another sparrow joined in. "Skipping in here with those innocent looks on your faces…you have a lot of nerve!"

Chun interrupted them. "Hi! I'm back!"

Their moods changed instantly. "Chun! Are you okay?"

"Boss! Boss! She's back! Chun's back!"

Then the wall turned around, revealing a _huge_ sparrow. "Pop! Pop!" The sparrow girl flew up to the big sparrow. "I'm sorry, pop! I won't go out on my own again!" He just chirped in response.

"Uh-oh!"

"The boss is…delighted!"

"You sure about that?" Issun asked skeptically.

"The white doggy, black doggy, and their owners saved me. You'll give them something to thank them, won't you?" The big sparrow chirped twice, and the door opened.

"The boss has accepted you. You're lucky."

"Okay, then! You'd all better come inside!"

They did as such, and were instantly greeted by another sparrow. "Welcome to the Sparrow inn! We welcome all sorts of customers here. Humans and animals alike. Customers are customers, after all. We do our best to please all! The thing we're most known for is our cuisine…"

"Where?" Bren asked, instantly interested.

Chase shook his head. _Typical B._

While the others explored the inn, Chase followed Ammy up an elevator to see the head of the inn—named Jamba according to the attendant.

"We've been waiting for you!" one sparrow said.

"You did a great job finding Chun. We wanna thank you, too."

Chun started to speak. "When I told pop about everything you did, he was really surprised. Weren't you, pop?" He responded with a simple chirp.

"Uh-oh!"

"The boss is…very impressed with you!"

_And they know that how?_

"We want to give you everything in these baskets as a reward! You can rest at the inn down below. And the hot spring behind the inn is great for relaxing!"

What was in the boxes in order of obtainment: a small Exorcism slip, a vase, a thing of steel-soul sake, a thing of steel-fist sake, a dragonfly bead, a small Holy Bone, a traveler's charm, a wooden bear, and a coral fragment.

After that they decided to hit the hot spring. Dax was there already, and so was Jinja. But all they found there was a dried up pool of water and a sparrow dancing with torches in his hands… wings…whatever they were. "E-Excuse me! Wait a minute, please! This is Sasa Bathhouse, Sparrow Inn's famous natural hot spring. But I'm afraid the water's run out. We're closed at the moment."

"Whaddya mean there's no water? This is a hot spring, ain't it?" Issun questioned.

"It happened the other day. There was a sort of earthquake. I thought I heard a monster roar. Then the water just stopped flowing all of a sudden."

"Earthquake and a monster roar?"

"Orochi," Chase grumbled, impulsively shivering.

"Ever since then I've been praying for the water to return," the sparrow told them. "But it's not showing any signs of springing up again. Never before in the history of Sasa Bathhouse has this happened! I'm so sorry you've come all this way only to be disappointed. I blame myself! I must beat myself with my own fried drumsticks!"

"Hey, cut that out! We don't like taking baths anyway!" Issun said, earning a weird look from both Dax and Jinja.

"I've prayed and prayed and prayed, but the water still won't flow. This is it! The end of Sasa Bathhouse! It's dried up now! What would my ancestors think? Beating myself with my own fried drumsticks will be a fitting end!"

They then heard another voice. "Oh, the smell of this bamboo sure brings back memories."

Dax blinked. "Hey, it's the bamboo geezer."

"The bamboo from Sasa Sanctuary smells like no other! I can't wait to get started making my bamboo ware. I must finish in time for the festival." He walked over to them. "Oh, hello wolfies, little sprite, and…Dax, was it? Who is this?"

"Jinja," the said girl introduced.

"Oh. Well, thank you for all your help."

"No problem."

"Ever since you found the sparrow boss's missing daughter, entry to Sasa Sanctuary is possible again. I wish I could thank you all somehow…is there something you're having trouble with?"

"Trouble, nah. But this sparrow here seems to have a problem," Issun said.

"No, leave me alone," the sparrow protested. "I have to put things right. I won't set a bad example for the others. If I sacrifice my flesh, the spring will be revived!" He started to burn his head again.

"Here we go again…" Issun complained.

"You wish to revive this dried-up hot spring?" Mr. Bamboo asked. "I may be of some assistance in that case."

"Wh-what was that?" Now the sparrow was looking dumbly at Mr. Bamboo.

"This bamboo tube on my back reacts to underground minerals. I should be able to easily detect where the hot spring water is."

Dax spoke up. "You sure about that old man?"

"Yep. My bamboo ware never lies. First, I'll need some help. Now be a good wolfy and dig me a hole," he told Ammy, who stared at him incredulously. "It'll be fun, like a game!" Ammy looked at Chase, who shrugged.

"Thank you! Both of you!" The sparrow said. Then Mr. Bamboo started to explain the digging game. Chase didn't pay any attention—he wasn't going, so why should he? They went into the hole.

Chase sighed, and put his head on his paws. _Okay…back to trying to remember Moonrise._ But of course, he was interrupted. This time by Jinja.

"Chase?" she asked. "You can still understand us, right?"

Chase lifted his head and nodded.

"That's good." She paused, as if pondering something.

He raised an eyebrow. "Jin, what are you—oh that feels nice!" She scratched a bit behind his ears.

"You're just like a normal dog!" she exclaimed. Dax laughed. At that exact moment, Ammy and Mr. Bamboo shot out of the hole on a water geyser and the spring quickly filled up, while Bren and Beyal came out.

"Water! Water!" the sparrow cheered. "The water's flowing again!" Ammy and Mr. Bamboo landed on the ground.

"See? I told you. My bamboo ware never lies!"

"Well done, Ammy!" Issun cheered.

"Thank you! Both of you! I'll never forget this! You all have free access to the bathhouse whenever you want!" At this, Mr. Bamboo cheered. Ammy gagged. "Oh, I'll dance the hot spring hop forever more!" He started dancing. But while he was doing that, starlight started to shine.

"Hey, it's just like back at the Valley!" Bren exclaimed.

"It's another constellation!" Issun clarified. This time three stars had to be filled in, but they succeeded anyhow.

A snake in a glass ball rolled down toward them as the scenery changed—Chase thought he saw Beyal smile a bit at the likeness to Glowblade. The snake-god tried two or three times to get out of the ball, but failed to say in the least. She gave up on the action, and instead began speaking. _"Ah…Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. I have remained hidden here, creeping along the water's surface. I, Nuregami, goddess of water, am happy to bestow upon you my power. Moisten the thirsty earth and restore the glory of nature!"_ And that was another brush technique in the bag.

"Nuregami? Oh, that's the god of water," Issun told them. "That must mean you got the Waterspout brush technique!"

"Ouch! Hot, hot, hot!" Chase noted that somehow the sparrow had set himself on fire. "Fire! I'm on fire! No! The fried drumsticks were a bad idea!"

"Lucky for you Ammy and Tsu—Chase need some practice. Okay, try to put out that fire with the power of waterspout! Waterspout is a brush technique that harnesses the power of water. And ya better hurry, otherwise that sparrow's gonna end up a crispy critter."

No sooner did Issun finish did Ammy extinguish the fire. "Excellent! No fried sparrow for us, but at least we can make a stream! But the power of Waterspout doesn't stop there. See that bubbling water in the middle of the hot spring? That's called a power spring. Water power is concentrated there. If you draw a line straight up from that bubbling water, I bet you can create an amazing column of water!" And since Ammy did it that time, Chase figured it was his turn. So he followed the sprite's instructions. "That's what I'm talking about!" Issun cheered. "Now you can control power springs!" Ammy made a _huge _jump to the top of the power spring, then onto a ledge. He couldn't really hear Issun's voice, so he waited for them to come down.

"Um, you guys go on ahead," Jinja said. "I'll stay here."

"You wanna jump into that hot spring? Be my guest," Issun said—although Chase kept a close eye on him to make sure he came. In the meantime, Ammy used Watersprout to get water to a giant stalk of bamboo. The bamboo tipped like a seesaw and the gate opened.

"Should we get going?" Ammy asked.

"Yeah, probably."

The tunnel soon opened to a stairway. At the second turn, they met another sparrow—this one was crying his eyes out. "_Tweeeet! Tweeeet!_"

"Whoa, get a load of tweety here!" Issun said. "Hey, what's with all the chirping, kid?"

"Don't call me kid!" The sparrow yelled. "I have a name you know. It's Tai! And I'm not chirping! I'm crying! _Tweeet! Tweeet!_"

"Oh, you're crying…so, what's with that creepy cry of yours?"

"Take's lost!" Tai sobbed. "He disappeared while we were out for a walk! Tweeet! Tweeet!"

"Who's Take? Is he a friend of yours?"

"He's my dog. I lost my dog! Tweeet! Tweeet!"

At that moment the Canine Tracker popped out and starting spinning. "Whoa, the canine tracker suddenly appeared! That must mean…"

Both wolves dashed ahead. And stopped when they saw one of the most logic-defying things Nippon had to offer—giant, _flashing_ bamboo stalks.

"You see what I see, furballs?" Issun asked. "I think that bamboo over there is flashing…maybe we'll find something interesting inside if we cut it down."

Chase watched carefully. _Almost like a pattern…so I should cut that one on the far left…now!_

Of course, like the way Dax had found Chi, there was a dog—presumably Take—sleeping in it. "Bingo!" Issun cheered. "But what's a dog doing in there?"

As soon as Take jumped out of the bamboo stalk, Tai came running. "Tweet? T-Take! Take's back!" His dog got instantly got into a battle stance and started growling at them. "Take? What's wrong? Why are you growling? Tweet? Wait a minute…was it this white wolf and black wolf who spirited you away?"

"Oh, gimme a break!" Issun exclaimed. "Hey, wait. I think this fleabag's trying to say something!"

"White wolf…what right do you have to bear the canine tracker? Fight me and prove that you are worthy!"

"You hear that furballs?! This must be a Canine Warrior! That Canine Tracker's really set 'im off. And Ammy, are ya gonna let this fleabag talk to you like that?" In response, the goddess snarled.

Chase jumped back as Take jumped behind Ammy, who whipped around at lightning-speed. Ammy managed to get a few hits with the Devout Beads, but Take soon jumped away again, and this time threw some dirt mixed with rocks at her. Then he charged at her—big mistake, as she Power-Slashed him and went in for close-combat with Divine Retribution. He wasn't done yet, though, and leaped away again, going with the dirt attack again. Ammy gave an annoyed look after shielding her face, and drew a Cherry-Bomb right behind him. It exploded, sending him flying and stunning him. Again some close-combat, and this time Take gave up.

"Cut it out! Leave him alone!" Tai shouted. "I won't allow you to bully Take like that! Keep it up and I'll clobber you!"

"Wait a sec, tweety! We're not bullying anybody!" Issun reasoned.

Take spoke up. "I know princess Fuse summons me…it is my duty to defeat Crimson Helm, defiler of the Gale Shrine. But I cannot return…this place is in grave danger. The monsters will overrun Sasa Sanctuary without me. And the Sparrow Tribe, they would all be…oh, what shall I do?" A small, dark-blue orb appeared in front of Take, and then flew to Ammy—much like how they retrieved a brush technique. "What's this? The power orb has chosen you. I need worry no longer. I shall remain here and battle the monsters for the Sparrow Tribe! Even separated, the hearts of the Canine Warriors beat as one!"

"Huh?" Issun was dumbfounded. "Hey, wait a second…"

"Follow where your heart leads!"

"Okay, whatever…I suppose it'll all make sense eventually…"

* * *

Back at the hot-spring, the rest of Core-Tech apparently had all enjoyed themselves, as they were all somewhat soaked. "Ahhh…what a fabulous hot spring!" Mr. Bamboo said. "I heard a ruckus from after, but…why don't you wash off all that grime in the hot spring?"

"H-hot spring? I think we'll pass…" Issun replied quickly in a panicky tone.

Mr. Bamboo continued, now changing the topic. The festival is just around the corner. It falls on the night of the full moon."

"The night of the full moon? What about it?" Bren asked.

"Kamiki Village holds the Kamiki Festival on the night of the full moon this time of year. You've heard the legend of how the great heroes Nagi, Shiranui, and Kuronui defeated the terrible beast with the help of the gods, haven't you?"

"Uh…" All of Core-Tech had clueless looks.

"You've never heard? Well, I suppose I'll have to tell you, then…"

Chase snorted, and did what Ammy usually did—take a quick nap. Until he felt Issun rap into the side of his head suddenly. "That's why the village pays homage to the gods and the sacred tree," Mr. Bamboo continued. _Jeez, I blacked out fast._

"That's some fairy-tale," Dax said.

"Indeed," Beyal said. "But this legend…is it true?"

"Of course it is! Oh, and by the way…I'd like to give you a little something to thank you for your help in the hot spring digging game. It isn't much, but you may find it useful. Here you go." He handed Ammy a green coin of some kind.

"Thanks, gramps! Whoa, that's some grubby pocket change…" Issun said.

"There are many small springs known as mermaid springs across Nippon. They say you can pass between them by tossing in one of those coins. If true, you could travel across Nippon in the blink of an eye!"

"Really? These are some wicked coins! They must be extremely valuable!"

"No, not really…you can even buy them at stores around here." Everyone laughed when Issun fell off of Ammy's head at that. "I only kept it because it was kind of cute. I don't have much, so you'll have to excuse me."

"Oh, don't worry," Jinja said, picking up an unconscious Issun and placing him on Ammy's head. "We're just glad we could help out."

Then Mr. Bamboo changed topics. "It's almost the festival season. The full moon will soon rise. It's been exactly one-hundred years since that beast was slain. But I always think of Kaguya when I talk about the moon…oh, how she used to love gazing up at the moon!" He sighed. "There I go again, reminiscing about the past. I'll end up in the poorhouse if I don't finish my bamboo ware soon."

Chase's eyes narrowed. _Again with the moon. If I don't figure out how to do Moonrise soon, I'll go nuts._


	14. Chapter XIII: Moonrise 月光

It took a while to drag Bren away from the Sanctuary. "Do we really have to leave?" he asked for the hundredth time.

"Yes, Bren," Jinja said while rolling her eyes. "We need to get to the forest."

"Aww…"

The first thing they noticed was Kokari scanning the area and whistling every two seconds.

"Oh, it's you again!" the boy said when he saw Ammy and Chase. He then noticed the others. "But…who are you guys?"

"We're their owners," Jinja quickly said.

"Oh…well, have you seen my dog, Ume?" Kokari asked.

"No. Is he missing?"

"Wouldn't be surprised if he got eaten again," Issun muttered.

"He's always with me when I'm fishing. He disappeared while I wasn't looking. You don't think he could've fallen into the Deep Abyss, do you?" He became panicked. "The water in the Deep Abyss has always been a bit murky…but today you can barely see into it and the surface is all rippley. My fisherman's intuition tells me the legendary fish has awakened. People call it…_Whopper_." The entire forest seemed to go quiet. "They say it swallowed the moon reflected on the water's surface! You don't think Whopper swallowed Ume too, do you?"

"With that dog's luck, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Issun!" they all scolded.

"What? I'm just telling him the truth!"

"Well, I can't find him alone," Kokari said. "Maybe I'll go talk to that lady who's visiting Hitoshio Spring…" Then he once again concentrated on finding Ume.

"To the spring!" Issun yelled dramatically after a few seconds.

When they arrived to said spring, they saw Kushi, who was sitting next to a giant barrel and staring at the water. "Mmm…the water here is so lovely and cool!" she said to herself. "Now time to get to work! Here's the barrel…"

"Hm? Why lookie here, it's Kushi!" Issun announced as if it wasn't obvious. "Whatcha up to, sweetie?"

She turned around. "Oh! It's you! Snowy, Blackie, and…"

The others of Core-Tech introduced themselves. "Blackie?" Dax muttered. Chase warned him off with a growl.

Kushi just nodded. "I'm here making preparations for the annual Kamiki Festival. I've come to get water for the holy sake we offer to the gods. People way the water here at Hitoshio Spring has divine powers. We always mix it with the holy sake we use for the festival. That's why we can make the Eight-Purification sake."

"Whoa, hold it right there, sister!" Issun suddenly yelled. "The Eight-Purification sake? You mean the sacred drink of ancient legend?"

"That's right. It goes back to the legend of Nagi, Shiranui, and Kuronui. It was the miraculous sake that they used to defeat Orochi. Apparently they got the beast drunk and cut off its heads! It certainly smells strong enough to intoxicate anything." Issun audibly gulped. "I don't know if the legends are really true or not. But we offer sake to the gods at the festival time and pray for peace."

"By the way, sweetie, I was wondering…you plan on filling this barrel with water?"

"That's right! We need enough for all of the villagers. So I have to fill this barrel to the brim!"

"But how're ya gonna fill such a big barrel with water? And even if you can, how're ya gonna carry it back to the village?"

"Hm…that's a good point. I hadn't thought of that because Susano usually takes care of it. He can handle the barrel as if it was as light as a feather. There's no way I can manage on my own, though. Maybe I should've asked that woman who came to the village if she could help…"

Chase frowned a little at that, while Issun said, "Are you furballs thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"Watersprout, yes," Ammy barked.

Before any of them realized it, the barrel was full of water, courtesy of the sun goddess. Kushi started jumping for joy when she noticed. "Yay! How wonderful! The barrel's full of spring water already! This will be plenty for the holy sake for the festival. Excellent! Now we just have to get it back to the village."

"_Carry_ it? That thing's gotta weigh a ton!" Dax pointed out. But before Kushi could say anything, a red-imp came out of _nowhere_ and threw its lute. It barely missed Kushi. Bren leaped backwards out of surprise.

"Wh-what is it?" It stepped closer to her. "D-do you want some of the spring water?" Another step. "S-sorry! I'll be getting this barrel out of your way s-soon…" Kushi grabbed the barrel and tried to get away. Obviously, her plan didn't work. The red imp attacked, but Kushi was protected by…something. It took her a few seconds to register this. By the time the imp had gotten up and dusted itself off.

"Back, you beast!" Susano then ran up out of nowhere. "Here I am just taking a walk, and look what I run into!"

"Oh! It's you!"

"Susano?" Issun gaped.

Two yellow imps appeared. Susano looked slightly scared, but he at least tried to act brave. "T-take one more step towards the lady and it'll b-b-be your last!" Another red imp and two blue ones joined the party. Susano was shaking at this point. "The g-great Susano, descendant of the hero Nagi, f-f-forbids it! D-do not despair, my fair Kushi! Susano is here to s-save the d-d-day!" He _dropped his sword_ out of fear, though he quickly picked it up.

"This looks bad!" Bren exclaimed.

"He's screwed," Dax muttered.

"That won't end well," Jinja said.

"No it won't," Jeredy agreed.

"I…I swing my sword in the name of love!" Susano shouted. "Susano-style sword of passion! H-here I go! You—leave—my—Kushi—alone!" Each time he paused, he—Ammy more precisely—slashed a monster. After the small massacre, Susano stared at his sword. "Huh?" A yellow imp came up behind him.

"Susano! Watch out!"

"Look behind you!"

"Huh?" He noticed the imp and attacked. This time it was Chase, but still.

"Hey, you did it, pops! That was amazing! You looked kinda scared at first, but ya pulled it off for the lady!" Ammy chose that precise moment to take Issun into her mouth. It took all of Chase's self-control not to roll on the ground laughing, and apparently it was the same with his friends.

"Susano…" Kushi said. "Um, thank you. I didn't expect to see such ferocious monsters here. Are you hurt?" He didn't reply. "Susano?"

"I knew it…I knew it all along…strange things have been happening ever since then…first that boulder in Kamiki, then that battle with the bear…and now this…my sword is possessed by a strange power. You listen to me, O spirit who defiles my sword! I shall not be controlled like some puppet! By the gods, I shall expose your nefarious scheme!" And then he just ran off.

"The krag?" Dax muttered at the same time as Chase.

Issun forcefully opened Ammy's jaw and fell out of her mouth. His glow was red. "Gross! Wolf spit!" he complained. The magnificent Issun takes offense!" They heard him unsheathe Denkomaru. "Why I oughta…! Hm? Where's Susano? Where did he go running off to?"

"He left without saying a word," Kushi told Issun, still staring in the direction Susano ran off in.

"What was he thinking? I mean, he just won the battle! Now it's time to win the damsel's heart!"

"As cliché as that sounds, I actually agree," Bren said.

"At least he could've stayed around to carry the barrel!"

"It's okay," Kushi said, but by the tone of her voice Chase could tell she was disappointed. "He must be busy with other things. There's no need to bother him with this." She uselessly tried to pull the barrel, and Chase was left seriously wondering how she would be able to do it. "I'm sure I can manage on my own from here, anyway."

After a few moments, Dax sighed. "You guys go try to find that mutt. I'll help out." And at that moment, they heard a shout.

"That sounded like that Kokari kid! Is he in trouble _again?_ We better go check it out!" Issun exclaimed. And then the Canine Tracker popped out. "Whoa! The canine tracker suddenly appeared! So that means…"

"Ume's a Canine Warrior," Ammy barked. And that concurred a mad dash for the island where Kokari was fishing.

"Grr…" Kokari was holding onto his fishing pole and pulling with all of his might. Chase could even see beads of sweat on the boy's forehead.

"Wow, looks like you got a big one there, kid!" Issun commented, sounding impressed. "With all that noise you were making, I was sure the monsters—" He was cut off by a _freaking_ _huge_ fish jumping out of the water. All of them fell backwards from shock. But as soon as he noticed the dog in the fish's mouth, Kokari was on his feet again.

"Ume!" he shouted desperately. Then he looked back at his fishing pole. "Shoot! My line snapped!" Ammy stood up and shook the water out of her fur, getting all of them even wetter in the process.

"Where in the world did that huge fish come from?" Jinja asked.

Beyal then added, "Was the dog in its mouth yours?"

"That was the legendary fish, Whopper. They say it swallowed the moon reflected on the water's surface! So it really does live in these murky waters! Well, it's gonna pay for gobbling up good old Ume!"

"Sheesh…that dog sure gets eaten a lot, doesn't he?" Issun said.

"I don't have any fishing line left…but I'll snag that Whopper yet!" There was determination in Kokari's eyes. "This shall be a battle to avenge Ume!"

"This is getting more interesting by the minute. That Whopper or whatever it's called would be quite a catch. Let's stick around and see if we can help him catch it!"

Fishing battle number two was then started. This time Ammy was fishing. First came a river crab. Then a trout. And finally, out came Whopper. As the fish was flying through the air, Chase noted that the sun had set already. _More logic-defying stuff._

"I knew I could do it!" Kokari said. "I finally caught Whopper!" Said fish was flopping around on the ground and gasping for air.

"Heh…and here I was so worried about ya, kid." Issun was standing on Ammy's nose. "You're one fine fisherman. You should be proud of yourself. Keep on fishin'! And make sure to bring plenty of line!"

Kokari stared at the ground, his hands clenched tightly. "How can I ever fish again? I mean, what about Ume? He's never coming back!" His eyes started to water.

"Oh boy, the crybaby's back." Chase was about to snatch Issun off of Ammy's head, but he noticed Beyal staring at something. "What'cha lookin' at?" Issun asked. Then, "Hey, look at this! The surface of the Deep Abyss is as bring and shiny as a mirror! The moon's reflection sure looks beautiful! Wait…where's the moon? How come I can only see its reflection?"

At that moment, a queer feeling came over Chase. _The moon's reflection is there…but not the moon…I can fix that…_ He drew a semicircle in the sky, top to bottom.

A split-second after that, the moon came out, in a crescent shape. "Hey! How did—wait, Chase…was that you?!" Issun exclaimed loudly.

"I…think," Chase said slowly.

"Holy smokes, you remembered how to do Moonrise! We can turn day into night now!"

Chase then noted that the rest of Core-Tech were regarding him in wonder. "So I guess…that's your ability, then," his father said slowly, eyes wide in wonder.

Chase barked once. And at that moment, Ume flew out of Whopper's mouth. "Hey!" Kokari gasped in amazement. "It…it's Ume! He came outta Whopper's mouth! You okay, boy?"

"I knew it would spit Ume out," Issun said. "I mean, just look at him. He looks like he's one nasty-tasting canine!"

"Really?" Kokari asked.

"Definitely! Never seen an uglier looking dog in my life!" Ume growled and went into battle stance. "What? I say something wrong?"

"White wolf…how did you come to bear the canine tracker?" Ume questioned, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He then said, "Hm? There's a familiar scent in the air…my former comrades…it emanates from your bodies!"

"What the—? Well, it's none of your business how se smell! It's just that we don't like taking baths, that's all!"

"Says you!" Jinja shot back.

Then something clicked in Issun's brain. "Hey, wait…"

"Yes, Ume is a Canine Warrior," Chase put in. "Can we get this fight over with?"

"So you know the canine tracker decrees that its bearer shall prove his strength?" Ume asked.

"Yeah, learned it from Tei and Take."

This time, instead of sitting and watching, Chase decided to take a nap. "Hey…Chase, get up!"

"Huh, what?" Chase yelped, and then noticed Jinja looking at him. He was glad his fur was black.

"Fight's over. C'mon, we have to get to…Kamiki, was it?"


	15. Chapter XIV: Hayabusa's story はやぶさの物語

When they arrived at Kamiki's gate, they saw Dax waiting there with an annoyed look. "I've been waiting here all night!" he exclaimed, as they had camped out in the forest.

"Sorry, but we got the Power Orb," Jinja said, starting through the gate.

"Hold up, Princess!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Just warning you…soldier-lady and her lapdog are in the village."

"WAIT WHAT?!" all of Core-Tech including Chase, exclaimed.

"They must've followed us!" Bren exclaimed.

"Took you that long to figure it out, glasses?"

"Well, we can't go into the village, then," Jinja said worriedly. "I mean, even one Monsuno would give the villagers all heart attacks.

"Mon-what?" Issun asked.

"You know…" Jinja explained.

"Oh, like at that Valley. Alright, so me, Ammy, and Chase'll handle it."

"But—"

"Chase's a wolf now, remember?"  
"Right…"

And so they went in. Chase instantly saw that Dax was correct—he saw Charlemagne in the middle of a hushed conversation with Commander Trey.

"Just keep goin' furballs," Issun muttered. Chase and Ammy complied, though Ammy was watching both STORM members subtly. He noted that Charlemagne glanced at them briefly.

"Wait, is that the canine tracker?" Hayabusa stared at said object in disbelief. "Have you come to take me home to my master?" There was worry in her voice.

"That would be nice," Ammy said, sitting down.

"You must be on an errand from Princess Fuse if you bear that. But I shall not move from here, for the festival will begin soon!"

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Issun exclaimed. "You're one of the Satomi Canine Warriors and you're just going to ignore the Princess's summons to wait for the festival?"

"Come back here tonight," Hayabusa told them. "We need to have a man-to-man talk."

"Man-to-man talk? Don't you mean dog-to-wolf?"

Chase groaned. "Let's just get this over with," he muttered, using Moonrise. A few seconds later, he realized what he did—especially when he heard two _very shocked_ yelps from two certain people. Once everyone had gone inside, he turned to Hayabusa. "You were saying?"

"You bear the canine tracker, so you must know what it decrees."

"Yep, we do."

"Men settle their differences at night! Man-to-man, fist-to-fist!" Chase could tell that she was talking to him.

"Man-to-man, fist-to-fist?" Issun questioned. "Don't you mean she-dog-to-wolf, paw-to-paw? You gonna let this punk talk to you like that, Chase?!"

"Bring it on, turnip-breath."

"You really wanna fight this?" Ammy asked.

"Yes."

The fight lasted for about five minutes. He copied what he had seen Ammy do against Tei and Take, although in this he had to beware of holes dug by Hayabusa to trip him up. Every time she charged at him, he Power-Slashed in return, and while she was stunned, he went in for close combat. Finally it was over.

"Okay, you've got some explaining to do, ya doggie!" Issun yelled. His glow was red and he was bouncing angrily on Ammy's head. "Why are ya ignoring the princess's summons just to wait for the festival?"

"I am not the real Hayabusa," the Canine Warrior admitted. "The real Hayabusa died along with Mushi's father when they were attacked by monsters deep in the forest. I happened to pass by about that time, but I was too late. Right before Hayabusa died, she begged me to protect Mushi. She foretold the coming of a white plumed arrow from the sky. An arrow that would kill Mushi on the night of the full moon…that is how I came to live here in this village. I have been waiting for the full moon on the festival season. Nobody noticed I was not the real Hayabusa, as we are the same breed. The night of the full moon draws near. I shall not move from here. My duty is to fulfill Hayabusa's dying wish. I must protect Mushi!" A light-blue glow suddenly appeared, which went to Chase.

"Great, we got another one of those power orbs!" Issun announced. "What was all that she said Hayabusa foretold? Something or other about an arrow that would kill Mushi? That's not a very happy story for such a festive season…I hope it's not related to that legend about Orochi and the arrow." Ammy nodded in agreement. "Hey, looks like we've found the three Satomi Power Orbs that the canine warriors had! Hmm…I know we promised to bring the dogs back, but… I wonder…you think they can handle Crimson Helm over at the Gale Shrine?"

"I'm not so sure about it," Chase admitted. "Something tells me we're gonna end up doing it."

"I think I like that plan, Chase," Issun praised. "So what're we waitin' for? Let's get back to Kusa Village!"

Though as they were passing the two people were still out, Chase overheard Trey exclaim, "It was broad daylight ten minutes ago! How can it be night already?" Meanwhile, Charlemagne was silent, watching them with narrow eyes.

Chase returned it evenly. _There's no way she can recognize me…wait a minute,_ he thought as now Trey looked at them._ The others could see Ammy's and my markings…don't tell me _they_ can too?_

* * *

"We're back!" Dax announced as they entered the house where Princess Fuse and the other five Canine Warriors were.

"Oh, hello." She smiled warmly at the rest of Core-Tech. Ammy barked. "Why, it's my favorite wolves and bug." She pet both Ammy and Chase, both of them enjoying every second of it.

"Enough with the bug thing already!" Issun yelled in exasperation.

"I must speak to you about the three remaining canine warriors…I am sensing something different about them. Do you bring no word of their condition or whereabouts?"

"About that…" Jeredy started.

"They will not be returning," Beyal finished. "They have found new masters—but they are safe and happy. They relinquished the Power Orbs to us to return."

"Oh…" Princess Fuse said, taking the fact in. "Well, I did sense that the canine warriors had changed in some way…maybe they had a fateful encounter. Perhaps strong bonds that cannot be broken have been forged. If they are to live apart from the Satomi House, I have but one wish. I would wish them to protect the peace under their new master, for that is the role they are meant to fulfill."

"We'll tell 'em when we run into 'em again," Issun assured her. The three power orbs split away from the two wolves, flying into the remaining gray-colored orbs that Princess Fuse had.

"Well, at any rate, the Satomi Power Orbs have been returned! Now I can break Crimson Helm's barrier. I must get to the shrine." Right after she said that, the eight orbs that were spinning behind Princess Fuse apparently decided they were going to switch to the others.

"Whoa, check it out! The orbs are spinning around us!"

"How could this be?" Princess Fuse asked in shock and amazement. "Have the power orbs accepted you as their new masters?"

"Masters? What're ya talkin' about, lady?"

"One does not choose to take the orbs. They choose their master," she explained. "O magnificent power orbs, heirlooms of the Satomi House…are these whom you have chosen to decide the Satomi House's fate?"

"We're supposed to fight that Crimson Helmet thing?" Bren sounded like he was about to panic.

"The power orbs have chosen you. I have no right to question them. Whether to face Crimson Helm is your own choice. All I can do now is pray for your good fortune in battle."

Issun bounced off Ammy's head and one of the orbs followed him. Bren tried to do the same and two followed. "Hey, lady. These power orbs won't go away," Issun whined.

"The power orbs' decision is final. There is nothing I can do. They have been passed down from the Satomi house from time immemorial. Now they shall break the barrier and lead us to victory!"

"Come on, Issun." Jinja picked up the hyperventilating sprite as they left. Once out, she asked, "Were you just putting an act on? Just guessing…"  
"Yep! Onward to the Gale Shrine!" He pointed Denkomaru towards the path. Everyone exchanged amused looks before following.

Once they entered the shine, they heard a shout: "SUSANO-STYLE SLEEPING MONK HIDDEN SAKE!" Namely from Susano.

"What the—?" Issun questioned. "Oh, well lookie here, its Susano again!"

"And he's asleep," Chase put in.

"I'm surprised he hasn't woken up yet; he seems to have a sixth sense telling him when we're near," Ammy commented.

Susano started grumbling. "O spirit who defiles my sword…"

"That geezer still thinks his sword's possessed?" Dax asked.

"I am closer than ever…here at the Gale Shrine, where the beast makes its lair, your true form shall be revealed! This cursed barrier may bar my way, but if I pray long and hard, I shall eventually find a way in!" They couldn't understand anything else.

"The lazy bum's talking in his sleep…" Issun sighed.

"Doesn't he always do that?" Chase pointed out.

"No, no…not that…" They turned their attention to the sleeptalker again. "By the gods, I vow to…you won't ever…"

"I thought he was just talking in his sleep, but…he seems rather frantic. It'd be funny if it weren't so sad…"

"N-n-no! Nooo! I never…please, not…"

"What the heck's he dreaming about? Sounds like he's getting his butt kicked!"

"Moving on!" Chase said before Issun made any more comments about Susano's sleeptalking. They took a left, and ran into someone else. Bren gave a short shriek.

"Hey, what's up with this guy? I can see right through him!" Issun exclaimed.

The man in front of the group was wearing a green shirt with slightly darker designs and had a windmill hat that was spinning despite the lack of wind in the cold cave. "Hm? Who are you? How is it you can see me?" he questioned.

Beyal stepped forward. "I am Beyal. These are Jinja, Bren, Dax, Jeredy, Issun, Chase and Ammy—the latter two being better known here as Tsukiterasu and Amaterasu."

"I am Yatsu, the earthbound spirit who haunts this area. Long has it been since any have ventured this way. My eyes have failed me—I can no longer see. In their stead, my inner eye can judge a person's true form. You appear to be six brave warriors and a maiden most fair. What could possibly bring you to the Gale Shrine?"

"Well—"

"You must leave this place, for it is no longer a shrine of the gods. It is now cursed and under the control of a horrible creature. This is no place for even the bravest of warriors or a maiden fair as the white wolf."

"Wait, did he just call you a fair maiden, furball?" Issun was quiet for a second, then burst out laughing. "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!"

"What's this? It appears the warriors and maiden are accompanied by a little booger. Is the village to meet its end at long last?"

Chase could tell that the others were trying their best not to laugh. Jinja failed, and so did Dax.

"Little booger? He _better_ not be talking about me!" That only made them laugh harder, and it made Bren laugh as well.

"Not many people have been to the Gale Shrine since it's been cursed," Yatsu continued. "The strangely frenzied man over there is one of the few. He has been meditating alone at the shrine's entrance. But his sleep is filled with nightmares that make him cry out. I pity the poor man and would like to render what service I could, but when I try to peer into his dreams, a strange force bars my way. Who is this strange man?"

"Come to think of it…" Issun trailed. "Susano _did_ say something about his sword being possessed."

"What's this? I sense an intense power!" Yatsu changed the subject. "It envelopes your bodies…could it be the Satomi Power Orbs? Fair maiden and brave warrior, the orbs would only choose the ones who are our saviors. The eight colors of light are living proof of that. Very well, you may pass, O saviors of the Satomi House!" The Power Orbs rose up, broke through the barrier, and slammed into eight dent-like indentations in the door, the said door opening.

Issun gulped. "Uh…"

"Beware," Yatsu warned, "Crimson Helm is a terrible foe. It is said that when the eight-headed dragon was slain one-hundred years ago, Crimson Helm emerged from a pool of the beast's blood. Never let your guard down."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Susano ran up. "The door to the Gale Shrine has opened? I must have finally communed with the gods! The time has come, foul spirit! Now I shall reveal your true form!" Then he ran off into the shrine.

"No, pops, wait!" Issun yelled.

"He's screwed," Jinja muttered.

"Is life not dear to that man?" Yatsu exclaimed. He repeated his little speech about Crimson Helm, making Chase roll his eyes.

"We get it," he said. To the others, he directed, "Let's get moving." The others of Core-Tech—though they couldn't truly understand him—apparently got the drift, and they entered the Gale Shrine.


	16. Chapter XV: Gale Shrine 風神宮

The Gale Shrine's interior was a twisting tunnel at first. Then it opened up into a room with a pond, a small corridor off to one side, and a larger opening that went down further.

With a nod from Ammy, Chase went down the small corridor. Lo and behold, it led to a small room with a Devil Gate. On the other side was something that first appeared to be a large kettle—but it was actually a chimera. The combo of Snarling Beast and Life Beads took care of it quickly, and at the end he Power-Slashed it to get two Demon Fangs—and an Exorcising Key.

They slowly went down the stairway and found themselves standing in front of some kind of angled bridge. "How is this supposed to work?" Bren asked. "Obviously it rotates…"

"Wind probably," Issun said. "Look at those windmills."

"So we can't go that way," Jinja summed up, looking at another hall that was too far for them to even possibly _hope_ to jump.

"Pretty much. Let's check out that way."

The room it led to—gee, this place had a thing with rooms, didn't it?—had a really-tall tower-like structure. There was also a Lockjaw—said roadblock was quickly destroyed via magical/spiritual key. "I'm not even gonna ask what that was about," Dax muttered.

They stepped into the structure—another room, but this one, for some reason, seemed almost like an elevator. Chase immediately noticed the cherry-bomb symbol on the floor. Curious, he created one right over it. They watched as it was somehow absorbed into the elevator.

Then the elevator shot up without warning. "Fast" did not even begin to describe it. It was like a rocket, almost. Of course all of them were slammed to the ground by it.

It was immediately noticed that they were outside…but even though they were obviously high-up, there wasn't a breath of wind to be felt. The sky was also still weirdly gray.

They were on a wooden platform, with a treasure chest that was…on fire, yet not burning to ashes. Again, logic-defying. He heard no comments from any of his friends or even his father on it.

There was also a set of narrow wooden stairs…one way to go. "I _would_ call this a nice view, but…" Jinja trailed off.

"I hear ya there," Issun agreed.

Another set of stairs. _Wait a second,_ Chase thought. _Are we where I think we are?_ At the top, there was an observation deck of some kind. An exclamation from Bren made him realize that they were indeed at the top—of the windmill.

"Holy krag!" the glasses-wearing teen continued. "I saw it from the village, but I didn't know it was _this_ big!"

"You can say that again glasses," Dax actually agreed, looking around. Beyal brought their attention to something else, however. As did Issun.

"That stuff there, swirling in front of the windmill," the sprite said. "It almost looks like wind, but it's all black. Like it's being forced in the opposite direction…" He realized something. "Wait, you don't think Crimson Helm caused this, do you?!"

"Wow Issun, you're almost as obvious as Bren," Jinja remarked.

"Hey!" the geek retorted.

At that moment a breeze blew—Ammy somehow did it. And again. "Let me try," Chase said. He looked at the last remaining "wind" and copied it—but in the opposite direction.

Immediately the sky brightened, and an actual, natural breeze blew past. "The wind has returned," Beyal affirmed, smiling.

"Yeah! And now that the Divine Wind's back, I bet the windmill's gonna—" Issun cut himself off.

Why?

Because the windmill started moving. The rest of Core-Tech all cheered, while the sprite added, "Look how strong the wind's blowing! I hope this drives away the evil down in the village."

Cue sky to turn completely black all of a sudden. "Oh, what's going on now?" Bren asked worriedly.

"Hold on Bren," Jinja said. "Remember that phoenix in the valley?"

"Oh yeah!"

The constellation was no phoenix—it was a horse. The horse's colorings matched Ammy's at first, switches to match Chase's and so forth every few seconds as always. It ran past them at an amazing speed…until Ammy totally outran it. The brush-god skidded to a halt and bowed its head in shame for a few moments before speaking.

_"Ah, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. For too long, I, Kazegami, god of wind, have walked a shadowed path. At last, light shines upon me. Use my power to manipulate the wind! Banish those who would seek to shroud this world in darkness!"_ Cue split-into-two-kanji-orbs thing and deity-wolf-receiving.

"Hey, I bet it was the divine wind that brought Kazegami back," Issun said. "Now you can use the Galestorm brush technique!" He chuckled. "This wind is nothing to sneeze at! Let's try this brush technique out on different things later. But this is no time to rest on our laurels! The big windmill's sending the divine wind down to the village…but that Crimson Helm still lurks somewhere in the Gale Shrine."

"Just when I managed to forget about that," Bren grumbled. "Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome. And not only that, but that crystal thingy Waka mentioned has piqued my interest. Let's turn this place upside down till we find both of 'em!"

"_Who_?"

"Not now please," Chase said to Issun—only to hear his friends all yelp in shock. "What?"

"Chase…you just spoke English," Jeredy said slowly.

Ammy seemed to realize something. "I forgot…as we regain our powers, other enhancements occur as well," she explained, getting the others to stare at her.

"Great," Dax said. "First monsters, then talking sparrows, and now talking wolves! What next?!"

* * *

Exactly two seconds later Ammy had noticed a treasure chest, and she immediately dashed off to get whatever was in it. Fifteen seconds later she came back with a Celestial Fragment. Which made three—they pieced the fragments together and it vanished in a burst of sparkles. Chase felt slightly stronger, but that was it.

It had taken some very careful aims with cherry-bombs to get the elevator to come up—as it had gone all the way back down to the bottom of the shaft. Thankfully the elevator went down slower than it did up.

That led to the problem—the bridge was still a ninety-degree angle away from where they most likely needed to go. "Um, wind?" Bren suggested.

_Right…_ Chase did as such when all of them were on the bridge, and they jolted when not only did one of the windmills start spinning, the bridge also rotated.

The room it led to was full of broken rafters…and the platform they needed to get to had no stairs to it. Luckily said room was also big enough to accommodate a Monsuno. Beyal obliged by spinning Glowblade out—earning a shocked exclaim from Issun and, strangely, a tail-wag from Ammy—so they could all get up. The Monsuno regarded both wolves before returning to its core.

Next room was just a hallway filled with flame-spitting statues. Like that was a problem—Galestorm owned all fire. Of course it still took some convincing to get Bren over, though.

At the end of the hall was a door. Through the door was a giant room—what else? "Hey, do you guys see that?" Issun said, pointing with his sword. There was some kind of altar, showcasing a crystal that looked weirdly like a grape. "I'll bet you it's that Serpent Crystalfor dispelling Orochi's barrier! You know, the item that Waka guy was searching for. Sweet! We found it before he did!"

"What's this about Orochi?" Dax asked, looking perplexed.

Chase ignored, running forward. But no sooner did he get across half the room did all the torches in the room suddenly light up, and the flames _somehow_ flew into the air, coming together in a flash…and down came a stinking-huge boar-like demon wearing armor and a helmet. A red helmet. "Crimson Helm, I presume?" he said.

"Heh, he really does look like one mean dude. Better psych yourselves up for this one, you guys!" Issun said. And at that moment the Satomi Power Orbs came out of nowhere, one circling each of them, although Ammy had two. "What the heck?! Aren't these the Satomi Power Orbs? They gonna protect us or something?"

"Looks like," Bren said, albeit shakily. Then he exclaimed, "Longfang, launch!"

The saber-tooth Monsuno immediately attacked Crimson Helm—it apparently knew that the boar-like creature was a demon. So not only did Crimson Helm have an angry Monsuno—three actually, for Dax sent Boost out and Jinja sent out Whipper—but it also had Chase and Ammy.

Needless the say, the fight was over pathetically quickly.

Crimson Helm started backing away from all of them slowly, and then reared up, holding its two huge swords into the air. Chase watched as the ground crackled in a perfect circle around the main area of the room…

…and eight serpentine things made of lava appeared. The Monsunos all snarled, backing off. "Huh? Is he chickening out?" Issun asked in disbelief. "After him, Ammy! Quick!" He bounced onto her head. She was about to attack, but someone interrupted.

Namely, Susano.

"Back, you cur!" he yelled. "I'll handle this one. _Charge_!" He leaped at the lava-things, yelling out random things as Ammy and Chase quickly intervened each time to make sure he didn't get hurt.

Typically, he got carried away. "Now for some wind!" Confuzzled, Chase complied. Susano began spinning, and he added, "Yes, wind! More wind!"

Chase heard Dax snicker at that one, and he almost did himself—Susano looked like a total loon. "Now you're talking! Wait…there's more!" Issun actually did it this time, and Bren made a comment about when Susano was going to lose his lunch. Said warrior then leaped into the air, still spinning, and sliced Crimson Helm across the face. Added to the damage the demon already had, it went down. _Thankfully_ the Monsunos timed out and automatically returned to their cores, before Susano noticed them, freaked out, and most likely would have tried killing them.

The cowardly warrior then spoke. "Now I'm positive…this is not my doing."

"Took you that long to figure out?" Dax muttered.

"It's the gods! They toy with me!" Ammy frowned somewhat as Susano yelled at the sky…er, ceiling. "Will you never stop mocking me? You hear me up there? Are you happy now?"

"Are you alright?" Beyal asked, looking concerned.

He was ignored. "Oh, why must I bear this burden of being Nagi's descendant? All I wish is to live in peace! Do you enjoy dogging my every step?"

"You okay, pops?" Issun was becoming concerned as well.

"Blast you gods!" Susano yelled, startling all of them. "I don't want your power! This whole world can fall to ruin as far as I'm concerned!"

"Alright, that was uncalled for," Chase said.

"Enough of these 'legends' and 'Nagi's descendant' stuff! Now, _just leave me be_!" As soon as he finished his rant, this…_shadow_ appeared. Just like the lava-serpents, except…

The downright _evil_ aura this one gave off…was so _familiar_….Chase immediately started snarling.

Bren screamed, and so did Jinja. "Whoa!" Dax exclaimed, scrambling back. Beyal, looking terrified, merely frozen where he was. Jeredy went very pale, meanwhile.

"_Yikes_!" Susano was shaking in fear. Ammy ran toward him, obviously trying to help, but some kind of barrio knocked her backwards. Then Susano looked up. "G-g-go away!" he stuttered. "Huh? That voice…one after the other…you're driving me crazy! Stop it! I don't want to hear about that now!" He suddenly ran off. "Go away! Leave me alone!"

The shadow then looked at them, which caused Jinja to yelp and for Bren to actually pass out. Beyal looked like he was going to pass out as well. Dax was visibly shaking, and so was his father. Chase didn't blame any of them—he knew this was Orochi.

The demon smirked…and vanished. Issun gulped loudly. "Chase?" Jinja said. Her voice sounded wrong—it was too high-pitched. "What was that?"

"Orochi," he growled in response, still staring where the demon had been. "That was Orochi."


	17. Chapter XVI: Truth 真実

Chase finally managed to look at his friends and father. Bren was just regaining consciousness, and the other four were slowly walking toward him. Meanwhile, a new reflector appeared (Infinity Judge)—Ammy immediately equipped it. The next new Divine Instrument would be his.

"You guys okay?" Chase asked.

"Yeah…I think," Dax admitted, honestly looking freaked. Neither Bren nor Beyal said anything—Beyal's face was almost as white as his hair, a testament to how scared he was. Jeredy also looked like he was going to pass out. Bren looked like he wanted to still be unconscious. Suddenly Jinja looked over them, and they all looked to see—

"_Bonjour!_" Waka greeted. "Oh, am I interrupting something?"

"Oh brother…it's that half-baked prophet again! Hey…that's…that's…"

"What, this?" Waka held up the purple crystal. "It's the Serpent Crystal, and it's mine at last!"

"You've got a lotta nerve muscling in on our goods like that!" Issun's glow was red. "We found it first!" Ammy ran and jumped onto the platform, but Waka did a super-jump away, close to a hole that led to outside and let natural light in.

"I'll have you know, I'm the only one who can dispel the barrier at Orochi's stronghold. You know, the Moon Cave?" As if it had heard them talking about it, Orochi roared—loud enough for them to hear where they were. Of course his friends all yelped. "Hm? You calling me, big boy?" Waka chuckled. "Keep your scales on, I'm coming."

"Hey! What's going on? Why ya goin' over to Orochi's place?" Issun questioned.

Waka just gave a small laugh. "Oh, I almost forgot. Time for another prophecy." He spun around and blew them a kiss. "I foresee a rendezvous with a sweet little thing. One last thing…Tsukiterasu, I do not see it as wise to allow your…friends and father…to continue journeying with you. You wouldn't want to see any of them dead, now would you?_Au revoir_,_mes__amis_!" He then left.

"Wait a second!" Issun exclaimed. "Dispel the barrier at the Moon Cave? What the heck's he up to?"

"He's probably planning to go in there and fight Orochi himself," Jinja responded.

"This is no time for your victory howl, furballs! We gotta get outta here and get on with our mission, and quick!"

Chase remained silent. Waka's words rang true.

* * *

As soon as they were out of the shrine, Princess Fuse was waiting for them with the Canine Warriors. "Why, my favorite wolves, their owners, and little bug have returned! When the windmill at the shrine began spinning, I knew it was you. A most refreshing wind began to blow down into our village." She jumped for joy. "You have defeated Crimson Helm and restored the divine wind! The Canine Warriors rejoice, but they're a handful as usual—I don't know how to thank you for all you have done…"

"I, too, would like to give thanks to the heroic travelers." They looked up at Yatsu. And Princess Fuse, last of the Satomi House, you have done well."

"What? You know Princess Fuse?" Issun asked.

"Indeed I do, for I was her husband and head priest of the shrine! My lingering fears about Kusa Village kept me here, but thanks to you I can now travel to the great beyond. Princess Fuse and the canine warriors still have much to learn, but I have no doubt they will prosper. I shall watch over them. Farewell, I shall pray for your good health and prosperity!" And with that, he disappeared.

"What is it? What were you looking at?" _She didn't see Yatsu…?_

"It was nothing," Beyal said simply. "There is no need to thank us…you must keep protecting the village as head priestess of the Gale Shrine."

"I have been rather feeble since the last head priest perished…" she admitted. "But as head priestess, I shall now dedicate my life to the shrine while keeping the remaining five Canine Warriors in line!"

"That's the spirit!" Issun cheered.

"I see that you must continue your journey…I shall pray for your good fortune."

"Thank you," Jinja said. Obviously she had filled in for the "leader" position before the incident at Northpoint. Both Ammy and Chase then received thirty Praise orbs each.

Once we were outside, Issun stopped them. "Whoa there guys! Let's think about our next step before we scurry off. Was that shadowy creature really Orochi? Our future's pretty bleak unless we do something about it. I mean, I'm too young to die!" Chase rolled his eyes. The sprite was quiet for a second. "Do you guys really think you're up for fighting him?"

"Of course," Ammy said.

Issun decided to randomly change the subject. "Well, a good festival's always fun anyways! If I could get Sakuya a little tipsy, then maybe…heh-heh…" Chase groaned and the others all gave Issun disturbed looks. "Guys, I suddenly feel like a new man! Let's go!"

Chase glanced at the sky—the sun was starting to set already. "Idea," he said, a smirk forming. "Issun, have you ever wondered what it's like to fly?"

"No…wait, where are ya going with this?"

* * *

"_Get me offa this thing!_" Issun shrieked as Airswitch swooped down toward Shinshu Field.

"Oh lighten up!" Jinja teased. "We do it all the time."

Ammy, meanwhile, was wagging her tail like crazy. "This _is_ fun!" she said.

When they were off, Dax called Airswitch back, and then said, "Looks like a storm's blowing in."

"You don't say," Chase said dryly. It was obvious, with the sky all cloudy and thunder rumbling above them.

As soon as they went into the village, they immediately saw almost everyone crowded in front of Susano's house. Chase also saw both Charlemagne and Trey watching the drama unfolding from a little ways off.

"Hey, what's everyone doin' in front of Susano's place?" Issun asked.

"You come out _this instant_, Susano!" Mr. Orange commanded. "You have some explaining to do! How could you have drunk the sacred sake meant for Konahana?"

"Huh? Susano did what?"

"You can come out, Susano. We're not mad at you," Mrs. Orange added softly. "You must've had some reason to drink up the Eight-Purification sake."

"Uh-oh. This is bad. Why would you drink all the sake, pops?"

"I don't care if it's so special!" Susano yelled. "I couldn't help myself. I just had to have a drink!"

"You seriously couldn't have just asked Kushi for some Thunder Brew?"

"Well," Mr. Orange started. "It wasn't any old sake, and this isn't any old festival! It's been exactly one-hundred years since Nagi, Shiranui, and Kuronui's great victory! We've even been blessed by a glorious full moon! How could you have done such a despicable thing?!"

"Leave me alone! I don't care about Nagi and his fleabag friends! I am Susano, the greatest warrior who ever lived!""

"What exactly happened?" Jinja questioned.

"There isn't a drop of Eight-Purification sake left?" Issun added.

"Susano was acting like a madman when he returned to the village," Mushi answered. "He drank all the sacred sake and then holed up in his house. All the sacred sake Kushi brewed is gone."

"Why'd pops have to go and do that? This is terrible. I mean, Eight-Purification sake is what saved the day in that legend! The timing couldn't be worse, with the return of Orochi and all."

"The dreaded Orochi…" Susano interrupted when Ammy looked like she was going to say something. "It's all my fault. I'm to blame for your misfortunes!"

"That's right, you fool!" Mr. Orange shook a fist. "Do you realize what a fix we're in without any sacred sake?"

"Old man, this a lot more serious than you think!" Dax snapped in an uncharacteristic way.

"It was _I_ who committed that terrible act at the Moon Cave. It was _I_ who brought Orochi back to life," Susano admitted. Everyone—well, almost everyone, since Charlemagne and Trey both looked absolutely clueless—gasped. "I have brought utter destruction upon the world!" He started sobbing.

"Vhat is he rambling about?" Charlemagne muttered.

Surprisingly Jeredy answered, turning to look at her. "Apparently there's a demonic eight-headed snake out there." She looked startled, while Trey raised an eyebrow.

Susano went on. "I was sick of hearing how I'm a descendant of Nagi! I wanted to prove it was all a lie by removing the sword Tsukuyomi. But the legend was true, and I've unleashed an unspeakable evil! And the curse consumed all of Nippon!"

"This is madness! You removed the sacred sword that imprisoned the dreaded Orochi?" Mr. Orange finally seemed to be getting it. And then he looked panicked.

"I fled to the village out of fear…then I blocked its entrance with a boulder and hid underground. After that, I tried fleeing here and there…but the gods would not leave me be! Ever they stared down at me! They let it be known that I'd never be forgiven…not until I slew the dreaded Orochi!"

"I know that Tsukuyomi was removed and the Moon Cave vanished…but that means…Orochi's rite of sacrifice…"

"Still applies," Ammy and Chase whispered simultaneously.

As if on cue, Orochi roared. Everyone began to panic except for the two deity-wolves, who ran and jumped onto a rock, snarling.

In the distance, eight orbs with different kanji on them appeared. Fire, darkness, wind, water, lightning, light, poison, and earth. Chase didn't know how, but he knew that those were the elements Orochi controlled.

Everyone else ran out onto the bridge to see. The orbs circled around, merging in a purplish-white flash. It hovered there for a moment, and then the light faded, revealing…an arrow?

Then, without warning, it shot toward the village with a high-pitched whistling sound. Ammy knocked Mr. Orange out of the way. Mrs. Orange jumped to the side by herself. Chase had to knock Bren down, for he was frozen to the spot in fear. The rest of Core-Tech ducked, as did Trey. And either it was just him, or he saw his father knock Charlemagne out of the way.

The arrow then impaled itself in the roof of Kushi's house.

Everyone slowly stood up, Kushi being the last. When she saw the arrow was in her house, fear flew into her eyes.

"On the eve of the full moon, the eight-headed dragon shall appear, and the accursed arrow shall mark the name of the chosen maiden," Mr. Orange recited. "It is exactly as the legend tells! If we don't offer the chosen maiden as a sacrifice, our entire village will be wiped off the face of the earth!"

I saw the fear in Kushi's eyes suddenly turn into determination. "Susano, you're no coward. If the gods tell you to fight, you're the only one who can! You can do it! After all, you saved me, didn't you? I know you can do it. I _know_ you'll come!"

"Wait, Kushi! You're not going to…"

She ran into her house and in about ten or fifteen seconds tops she came out in totally different clothes and she was holding a jug of sake. Chase briefly wondered how she did it, but then again this place was more logic-defying by the second, so he dropped it. "Behold, my Thunder Brew!" She held up the jug of sake. "The great Nagi intoxicated Orochi and defeated him! My sake is my life. Surely it can intoxicate even Orochi!" Then she ran off towards Shinshu Field.

"Hey, Kushi! Wait!" Issun yelled after her. "She's not going to take on Orochi, is she?"

"No, Kushi! Wait!" Mr. Orange tried to follow her, but ended up stopping a little farther than the bridge. Great stamina for a guy his age.

"She can't go to the Moon Cave. She'll be gobbled up by Orochi!" Issun yelled, freaked-out.

"Come on," Ammy said. "We need to get to her as fast as possible."

"Wait!" Chase exclaimed, completely ignoring the fact that his two enemies that were present were staring in shocked disbelief at him. "Guys, you can't come."

"What?!" Dax exclaimed.

"Like Waka said…I don't want you guys getting killed!"

"Chase, as much as I can't believe I'm saying this, we're coming no matter what!" Bren said.

"You _can't_!"

"Why?" Jinja asked.

"Because—because a hundred years ago, both me and Ammy _died _fighting Orochi!" Chase realized what he'd shouted too late.

"Wha'…huh?" Bren whispered in a hoarse voice.

"Chase, what are you _talking_ about?" Jeredy asked in the same tone, sounding horribly confused.

Ammy lowered her gaze before saying, "It's true. The Shiranui and Kuronui in the legend…they were us."

"You've _got_ to be kidding mate," Dax said. "That'd make you…over a hundred!"

"Not exactly. In body, he's still fifteen. Me, I'm less than a month old. In spirit, we're _much_ older than even that."

Without another word, Chase pushed past his friends, heading for Shinshu Field. _That's not the only reason, either…_

* * *

Team Core-Tech stared after the two wolves, still in shock from the revelation. _One-hundred years ago…Ammy and Chase both _died_? _Jinja thought. _That's impossible!_

She stiffened and turned when she heard footsteps behind them. Surprisingly, it was Charlemagne and Trey. "Vhat did he mean by zhat?" the Commandant-Marshal asked. Jinja gave a defiant stare in response…but for once, she couldn't work up any anger. Judging by the look in the blond woman's amber eyes, she was very much freaked out over what had happened in the last several minutes. Trey looked the same.

It was Beyal who explained. She was silent afterwards, processing it.

Jinja started toward the village exit. "Whoa, hold up Princess!" Dax said. "Where are you going?"

"One, don't call me that. Two, there's no way I'm letting Chase and Ammy fight Orochi by themselves. Not in a million years!"

What happened next surprised her. Bren gulped before saying, "I second that emotion!" Jinja stared at him, shocked. That, coming from _Bren_? She glanced at the other two—they very suddenly looked determined. _You guys…_

"I'll go too," Jeredy said, a glint in his eyes. "I don't really know what I'm getting into…but I'm not letting Chase put himself into too much danger."

"So what're we waiting for?" Dax asked.

* * *

Once they were gone, Trey immediately asked, "Ma'am? What do we do now?" He still sounded a bit scared after what happened. So was she, for that matter.

"Vhat do you think?" she responded, starting to follow.

There was one thing she was confused about, _besides_ the shocking revelation about Chase Suno apparently being the reincarnation of some one-hundred-year-old wolf named "Kuronui."

Why had Jeredy saved her? They _had_ been friends a long time ago, but that all ended in one huge blowout. Then again…things changed.


	18. Chapter XVII: Orochi ヤマタノオロチ

Thankfully Kushi had stopped before she even hit the main part of Shinshu Field. "You okay, sweetie?" Issun asked.

"Don't you try to stop me, Issun. Or you too, Snowy, Blackie. If Orochi's chosen victim runs away, disaster will befall Kamiki. But…that's not why I'm doing this."

"What?"

"There's too much suffering in the world. I'm going to use my sake to rid us of this evil menace!"

"Are you crazy?" Issun yelled. "We're talking about the dreaded Orochi here! That attitude's gonna get you killed! You really think you'd win with a little jug of sake?"

"Yes, Issun…I guess I am crazy," Kushi said quietly, then in a more determined tone. "But it's the only way. My sake is the only answer." She stood up and turned towards us. "I'm going! And I'll defeat that monster with my sake!"

A split second later Ammy threw Kushi onto her back. And a split second after that, a voice said, "Wait for us!" Chase looked, and wanted to smash his head into the cliff right then. It was his friends and father, all looking determined. "If you think we're letting you guys do this by yourselves, you're insane," Jinja added. And judging by the mulish look on her face—on _all_ of their faces—Chase wasn't going to convince them otherwise.

"Not you guys too! _All_ of you?" Issun complained. "Dang it! Why ya gettin' all worked up? There's no hope of winning!"

"That's probably what Nagi thought. But he faced Orochi anyways," Ammy replied wisely.

"Well, don't say I didn't warn ya!"

"Are you sure you can keep up?" Kushi asked the others.

"We'll be fine," Jinja said. "It's just to the Moon Cave…we know where it is."

They made a beeline for the Moon Cave, with Issun muttering every once in a while about how they were all going to die. Chase noted that, surprisingly/shockingly, it wasn't just the rest of his team following—he could have sworn he saw the two from STORM coming as well.

Big surprise as to who was waiting at the entrance of the Moon Cave—Waka. "I knew you'd come, Amaterasu, Tsukiterasu. I take it you enjoyed your rendezvous with the sacrificial girl, eh?"

"None of your business, ya half-baked prophet!" Issun spat.

Waka ignored him, standing up. Behind them, the others slowly crept up, watching with interest. As they looked on, Waka took out the Serpent Crystal, and then jammed his metal sword into the ground in front of it, like some sort of ritual. Then he played his flute for a bit—and as he finished, the barrier and crystal both vanished in a flash.

The French prophet sheathed his sword and turned to them. "Well, the Moon Cave is open. You've played your parts. Now leave the rest to me, you two."

Then the ground started shaking. Ammy and Chase both instantly went into battle mode, while the others looked around nervously. Then Waka whirled around—right as one of Orochi's ugly mugs flew at them from the tunnel. Chase felt himself knocked aside, although he scrambled to his feet simultaneously with Ammy, dashing inside, the others at their heels. As soon as they were in, the barrier came back somehow.

"Why you…!" Issun growled, bouncing over to the barrier. "What's the meaning of this?!"

"Meaning? Hmm…" Waka mused. "Does the saying 'like a moth to a flame' ring any bells? I mean, you all went in on your own accord, no? Of course, only one other besides the victim is supposed to get in…but I suppose that doesn't exactly count, since Orochi seems to have taken _two_ victims."

"What do you mean by that?" Chase asked, looking and doing a head-count. Jinja was there—big relief—but now that he looked…Charlemagne wasn't. _Uh-oh!_

Trey realized this as well, and yelled, "_Commandant!_" before racing through the tunnel.

"Dang it!" Issun went on. "Looks like we've been set up again."

"But were you not planning on entering the cave yourselves, _mes__amis_?" He chuckled before adding, "It is time for all of you to shine! Now, let me leave you with this little prophecy—" He then did some sort of…dance…that was weirder than Tama's, and said, "_Look, the moon! The moon! The moon came out!_" **(Insert anime-style sweatdrop here)** A few awkward seconds went by. "Ah, pardon _mes__amis_…that wasn't a very good one," Waka admitted, scratching the back of his head. Without warning, he added, "_Au revoir!_" and super-jumped away.

"I'm going to forget I saw that," Jeredy deadpanned.

"Bah…I guess we're stuck here," Issun said. "But we were planning on taking care of Orochi anyways! Now c'mon, we better hurry—otherwise Kushi and that lady are gonna end up being snake-breath's dinner!"

They raced down the tunnel, although they stopped in front of an open gate. "Orochi is up ahead—I can sense him," the sun goddess murmured.

"You and me both Ammy," Chase said in response. There seemed to be a crushing aura in the area—probably why the black-haired STORM commander had stopped, and why the others looked so apprehensive.

In the center of the arena-like area, there was an altar of some kind with an ornate stone bell. Lying unconscious beneath said item were Kushi and Charlemagne.

Ammy stiffly walked forward. "OROCHI!" she roared. "Come out from under that rock like the worm you are!"

Chase and the others all stared at her. There was nothing but pure loathing and hatred in the goddess's voice—at the same time one part of Chase felt the exact same way. _Where is Orochi, anyway? All I see is that shrine…_ Then the ground started shaking.

Despite his urge to run, another urge to stand his ground conflicted with it, and they watched with both horror and amazement as Orochi himself rose from beneath us, all eight of his heads stemming from what had been the shrine.

At the same time, both the ones on Orochi's back woke up and looked around, looking a mixture of shocked, confused, and totally panicked.

"No way," Trey mumbled, eyes wide.

Then Orochi spoke. "O wild gods of the heavens," he rumbled. "One-hundred years have passed since you imprisoned me here. How is it you have come back after perishing?" The head in front snorted. "Amaterasu, you were imprisoned in stone for the whole century—you reek of decay!"

"No more than you do, you overgrown eel!" the goddess shot back.

"And you, Tsukiterasu…you were trapped in a mortal form after being suspended in the realm of the dead for eighty-five years! Out of the both of you, you are the most pitiful!"

Chase growled at the insult. Issun intervened. "I've heard enough! Bottoms up, big guy!" He tossed a jar of Kushi's Thunder Brew (although Chase had zero idea where he got it from) at the fire head. Who decided to be an idiot and drink it. He downed its contents in a single gulp. With a smirk, the serpent tossed it back at Amaterasu, who leapt to one side as it smashed to pieces where she had been standing a second before.

Then he let out a thunderous, ear-shattering roar, and both wolves responded in turn, their battle cries nearly drowning his out. Right after that the others all spun out a Monsuno—Longfang, Whipper, Glowblade, Boost, and even Riccoshot.

Immediately Bren ordered, "Longfang, Fang Burst!" Unfortunately the attack did nothing—Orochi had some sort of barrier.

"That cheater has a barrier up!" Issun huffed. "What are we gonna do now? Any bright ideas?"

Apparently satisfied that they couldn't harm him in any way, Orochi turned his attention to the two on his back, eyes filled with hunger.

"Run, you two! Run!" yelled Issun, even as the fire head snarled and lunged. Kushi yelped and covered her face with her arm, while Charlemagne simply glared at him, although she flinched at the last second—

Right as a voice called, "Hold it right there, vile serpent!" Orochi froze, fangs mere centimeters away from the two he was aiming for—in particular, the Commandant-Marshal, who's face was very pale at the moment as she realized how close she was to being dead. Then Orochi turned toward the source of the voice. Surprise, surprise—it was Susano. Kushi's response was immediate.

"Susano! You came! I knew you'd come!"

"Have no fear! Susano is here!" Chase groaned, rolling his eyes. _Aaand he killed it…_ The cowardly warrior went on. "Orochi and I have a score to settle."

_Okay…didn't see that coming._ The fire head came face-to-face with Susano. "Long have I awaited your coming, O descendant of Nagi. Now we shall fulfill this burning desire which has consumed us. The descendants of Nagi have kept me imprisoned here for one-hundred years. Yet it is that accursed bloodline which shall unleash my true power. A pact between Nagi's descendant and I, the great Orochi, shall deliver unto me dark powers beyond all comprehension. Let us seal the blood pact for all eternity!"

"What the heck's serpent-breath talking about?" Issun asked. "A blood pact with Susano will unleash Orochi's true power?"

"O he who seeks power, your first chance slipped through your grasp. But now the time has come for us to seal our eternal bond! Speak the words 'I wish darkness upon the world.' Utter that prayer unto me and seal our blood pact. You too shall be given dark powers beyond all comprehension."

"I think he's trying to tempt Susano!" Jinja exclaimed, looking worried. Whipper snarled in turn, sensing its controller's fear.

"Now, utter the prayer!" Orochi told Susano. "Let the words come from deep within! Recite the words of our blood pact!" Everyone was silent in anxiety.

"Oh, I shall!" Susano nodded. Chase would have jaw-dropped…if Susano hadn't pulled out his sword. "I am the descendant of Nagi! Behold! Susano, the greatest warrior who ever lived! Hear me, vile serpent who would seek to harm helpless women! Your time is up! Feel the wrath of my trusty sword!" He tried to stab the fire head, and after a second he broke through the barrier. The head recoiled and had some sort of spaz attack. "Foolish beast! Did you really think you could deceive me? The only pact for me is the one that comes with my bloodline! If it's my fate to fall battling evil, then so be it. I seek help from neither god nor demon! The heroic bloodline of Nagi is all I require to slay you!"

"Look!" Kushi pointed to the jug of sake that used to have the Thunder Brew. Golden sake was flowing out of it and filled a small moat around Orochi. Again, logic-defying.

"Glittering gold sake…" whispered Issun disbelievingly. "Is that…is that Eight Purification Sake?"

"Yes, it is," Ammy said, a feral glint in her amber eyes. "This time, you won't be coming back, Orochi."

"Susano and Kushi made a miracle happen! Time to work your magic, everyone!"

Chase turned to Ammy. "I'll go clockwise, you go counter. Okay?" She nodded. "First…out of your friends, who can throw the hardest?"

"I'd say Dax for that one…"

She didn't answer; instead running up to the Lowlander and giving him something that looked suspiciously like the super-expensive variant of Exorcism slip. She told him to throw it at the bell. He looked slightly confused before nodding, and did as such.

It flew perfectly, latching onto the bell. Three seconds later it detonated in a blast that destroyed the bell, sending Orochi to the ground.

And the fight truly began.

While Ammy dealt with the fire head, Chase ran to the earth head—which Trey was also trying to deal with. He growled and slammed his head into the ground, sending out a shockwave—a bad move, since Riccoshot immediately followed up with a Ballistic Repeater. Instant knockout—Chase didn't have to do a thing.

This was too easy. Orochi had been stronger than this—from hazy memories, Chase could discern that this was not the true power of the eight-headed demon.

The ground shook as another one of Orochi's heads crashed to the ground. Jinja and Whipper had taken care of the light head—Whipper had used Deflector Frill to blind it with its own attack.

Next up, poison.

Out of all dim memories he had of Orochi, Chase knew that he loathed this one the most. As soon as it opened its mouth, he used Watersprout to shoot sake into its jaw. When it fell to the ground he instantly burned the heck out of it with Inferno—finally getting a good opportunity to try it. Then he went to help Bren with the lightning head. It threw a few orbs of electricity at them, which were easily dodged. Then the thing actually lost sight of them, even though they were, oh say, _right in front of it_. So to put the poor thing out of its stupidity, Longfang opened fire with Fang Barrage while Chase went with Power-Slash.

Beyal and Glowblade had taken care of the darkness head, Ammy had handled the wind head with ease, and Bren managed to take down the water head pretty fast on his own. And of course Fire was down for the count thanks to Ammy as well.

"The time has come!" Susano said as he ran up. "O sacred moon of the heavens, come forth and pierce this darkness! Bear witness to the beast's demise upon my trusty sword Tohenboku!"

"Did he say moon?" Issun asked, sounding puzzled for a bit. "Right! The legend says the moon was shining when Nagi slew Orochi."

Ammy turned to him. "You know what to do, Chase."

"Right!" He let out a howl, just like Kuronui had one-hundred years prior. As if in response, the clouds drew themselves apart to expose the heavens, the moon oddly absent from its place in the sky. Easy fix—with a flick of his tail, the moon appeared in the sky. As they watched, the light shone on Susano's sword…and it suddenly blazed golden. Also the small leaf on it turned into a flower, but that wasn't important.

"Susano-Style Blade of Truth!" the warrior shouted. "GOOD! WILL! NEVER! GIVE! IN! TO! EVIL!" huffed the warrior as he commenced his attack on Orochi, striking at seven of the eight-headed beast's waiting necks. Seven serpentine heads fell to the ground, severed by the combined strength Susano's blade and double Power-Slashes. Of course he heard exclaims from the others at the grossness factor, since there was blood and everything, but that wasn't too important at the moment.

The fire head looked at his severed necks in shock. "How…?" he rasped. When no response came, he threw his head back and roared in frustration.

"Ammy, Chase, what are you waiting for? Finish it off!" Issun hopped up and down on Amaterasu's snout, his aura flickering between shades of light green and crimson.

"No! I don't need either of you to help me this time!" Susano stepped in front of them, heaving his sword up to shoulder level. "Now for the ultimate in Susano-Style martial arts! Celestial Cleaver!" With a cry, the warrior leapt into the air…

…and rent the fire head in two. It was _supremely_ gross, yeah…but Chase had already seen it once. The halves fell to either side, marking the true, final end of Orochi.

Chase glanced around at the others. Judging by the looks on their faces, they probably wouldn't be able to stomach anything for a while. Meanwhile, the Monsunos returned to their cores—had the fight really only lasted eight minutes?

Then something else got his attention. When the fire head had been cleaved in two, it caused the altar on Orochi's back to violently lurch forward…sending the two on his back flying.

Susano managed to catch Kushi…although Charlemagne very literally crashed into his father, sending them both down.

He was also aware of Susano saying something to Kushi, but he was more focused on the new Divine Instrument that appeared. It was an actual sword—sapphire-blue with some kind of yellow ornament on the hilt. He went and equipped it, immediately knowing the name: Tsumugari.

His friends were carefully skirting around all the blood on the ground, making their way over to him. "That was _nasty_!" Dax exclaimed, gagging. Beyal wasn't saying anything, and Jinja looked nauseous. Bren wasn't saying anything either…but that was probably because he looked like he wanted to barf. Issun hopped up and down on Ammy's snout—he apparently didn't mind what had occurred. "Alright furballs! Let's hear one of those famous victory howls of yours!"

Chase exchanged a victory-smug smirk with his counterpart before complying. The howls echoed around the arena. They all glanced at Orochi one last time…whose corpse burst into purple flames. Ominous black mist came from it, floated into the air, and then disappeared in a flash, splitting into four different pieces, which flew off into different directions.

* * *

_And so it came to pass that, one-hundred years after its first defeat, the dreadful Orochi succumbed to Amaterasu, Tsukiterasu, and Susano's onslaught. As the foul breath left Orochi's twisted body, the curse lifting, a powerful sword known as Tsumugari appeared. It was none other than the reborn form of Tsukuyomi, which had been consumed by Orochi. Armed with this new blade, Amaterasu, Tsukiterasu, and company prepared for further adventure._

_At that moment, a mysterious evil force emerged from Orochi's corpse, splitting off in all directions and flying off into the distant sky. At that time, no one had any inkling as to just what that force was. The truth is, the real calamity and chaos had yet to visit the world. But for the time being, Kamiki found itself enjoying a new era of peace. Our story, however, is far from over. In fact, it is only just beginning…_


	19. XVIII:Festival and Ryoshima Coast 祭りと両岛原

"At last…at last the time has come. The unseverable bonds between heaven and earth…Waka, the situation has grown urgent. You must return to the city at once."

"_Très__bien_! Amaterasu, Tsukiterasu…you may have slain Orochi this time, but do not assume it will be so easy the next."

* * *

A gentle night breeze blew through the air. "Check out that starry sky!" Issun exclaimed once they got out of the Moon Cave. "I know they're up there somewhere my furry—and not-so-furry—friends! Those constellations of the brush techniques are just waiting to be found!"

Jinja looked around. "Hey…where'd they go?"

"Susano and Kushi?"

"No…"

"Oh, that blond lady and that other black-haired guy? I think I saw them sneaking away…

"Figures," Chase said.

Very suddenly some fireworks went off. "Whoa! That must've been one of Tama's fireworks. Wonder if the villagers already found out that Orochi's dead?"

"Probably, since Susano and Kushi went straight to the village," Ammy said.

"I bet," Chase said. Then he sighed. "What I'd do to be an actual person right now!" Ammy paused, at the same time as a bluish-silver flash of light.

"What the—?!" Issun exclaimed. "Chase, you're human!"

"_Hah?!_" He looked himself over to find that he was indeed a person once more. Then he grinned. "Is that another 'ability' Ammy?"

"Er…yes. I just remembered about that one…Orochi's presence may have been blocking us from using it."

"Well that simplifies things!" Jinja said happily.

"And now that's settled…" Issun said. "It's party time, guys!"

* * *

As soon as they entered the village, both Mushi and Kokari were demanding to hear the story of the battle, which Beyal complied to. Of course he watered down the gross part, but still—he was an extremely good storyteller.

For a while Chase just watched the fireworks. Then he glanced around to see what the others were up to. Jinja was also watching the fireworks, and so were Bren and Jeredy. The two younger kids had convinced Beyal to play with them a bit. Dax…Chase didn't see where he was. One look from Ammy told him everything, however.

Even after three other people had passed out due to Kushi's Thunder Brew, Dax had insisted on trying some. Said Lowlander was also out cold. "He's going to have one heck of a headache when he wakes up," Jinja commented.

"Yeah, I bet," Chase agreed.

Ammy looked around, and stopped, staring up the large waterfall that was near Kushi's house. "There they are!" she exclaimed, tail wagging a bit.

"Who?" Chase glanced up—and saw who she meant. _Heh…who knew Charlemagne liked fireworks?_

"I wonder why they're all the way up there?" Bren asked no one in particular.

"Uh, probably because they doesn't want us knowing they're there, Sherlock," Jinja said. Chase smirked. _Just like old times._

Then Ammy stood. "I'll be right back," she said. She Vine-d her way up the cliff via a Konohana Blossom that Chase hadn't noticed before, and they saw her do it again—which led up to the cliff where the Commandant-Marshal was. _I hope she knows what she's doing._

* * *

Amaterasu slowly came up behind the strange humans. She also had that otherworldly scent to them that Chase's friends had. Ammy also smelled a few of those strange demons that came out of those little containers. They appeared to be enjoying the fireworks, although Ammy knew that it was probably just to get their minds off of the Orochi incident.

Smirking, she walked up between the person, waiting, also going into her human form in a flash of reddish-gold light—she was the same height as Chase when he was in his human form, except she had white hair, amber eyes, red markings, and due to the fact that she hadn't used her human-form in over one-hundred years, her outfit had changed so that it matched Chase's…albeit with reversed colorings.

It was the blond-haired woman that noticed the white wolf first. First she merely gave a sideways glance, and then she froze, looking. The black-haired man jumped in surprise. "Why are you both up here?" the sun goddess asked.

The lady recovered from the shock first, ignoring the question. "Who are you?" she asked. Her voice sounded odd—some kind of accent.

"Everyone calls me Ammy. You'll learn my true name eventually," she replied cryptically, gazing at the fireworks.

"Can you at least explain those red marks?" the black-haired man asked.

"In case you're wondering about these red marks…well, I suppose they're a sign of my powers. Observe…" She promptly used Galestorm.

A few moments of silence. Then a simple "How?" from the amber-eyed woman.

"You'll learn eventually…if you choose to stay here." Ammy turned serious. "I actually think it would be better if you went home…before it's too late."

Completely ignoring her confused look, she turned back to her wolf-form—earning shocked cries—and leaped down, landing perfectly on her feet below.

* * *

Chase woke with a start, sitting upright. The festival had long since ended—the sun was a mere sliver on the horizon. Everyone else was fast asleep, including Ammy. He looked closely at the sun goddess—yep, Issun was there on her head. He needed to be sure of that, what with Issun's…tendencies. His friends were all asleep as well. No doubt Dax would be in for one heck of a hangover when he woke up.

One weird thing was that…well, he didn't feel tired that often. Maybe because of his and Ammy's powers returning? He shook his head. _It's like I'm being set apart from the others more and more by the day…_

He heard Issun yawn. "Man, nothing like a good festival. I used to go to festivals all the time back home…" He sighed and looked over at Chase, and instantly said, "Oh, uh…I wasn't thinking about my mommy or anything like that!"

"_Riight_," Chase said.

He could've sworn the sprite glared at him. Then he said, "Well, we better get a move on. We're heading to the big city next!"

"_City_?" Chase repeated.

"Yeah, Sei-An. It's out by the coast." Louder, he said, "Up and at 'em everyone!"

"Do we have to go _now_?" Bren complained, yawning and putting his glasses on. "It's too early!"

"Ugh…" Dax moaned. "I feel like I was trampled by a Monsuno."

"No duh! You should've known better than to touch the Thunder Brew!" Jinja said. "You saw how those three guys reacted to it!"

They made their way out into Shinshu Field, but were intercepted by none other than Sakuya. "Amaterasu, Tsukiterasu…you have only just preformed your duties, yet you still plan to leave?"

"There's not much left to do here, if you think about it," Chase remarked. Ammy nodded.

"My heart aches at the thought of our separation."

"Sakuya, you didn't have to come all this way just to say goodbye!" Issun said. "Boy, you're sure uptight for a tree spirit."

"But…" Sakuya continued, ignoring the previous comment. "At the instant of Orochi's passing, I…" She paused.

"What is it?" Beyal asked.

"I quite clearly saw a swirling black mist. In the confusion, I distinctly sensed an evil other than Orochi. I'm not sure what it could be. Is there something else at work? Shinshu has been restored. Of that there is no doubt. But nature's tormented cries ring out in other parts. Especially chilling are those emanating from the capital in the Ryoshima Coast beyond the bridge in Taka Pass."

"Well…we were plannin' on visiting that place anyway…" Issun trailed off.

"The black essence born of Orochi's husk…it was moving toward the capital as well. I cannot say for sure exactly what that means. What I do know is that whatever has plunged this world into darkness has not yet finished toying with us. This ordeal is far from over."

"Is that it?" Issun asked in disappointment. "No sage advice for us heroes?"

"My apologies, little one. The challenges you face on your journey will be many."

"We've faced worse before. We'll be okay," Jeredy assured.

"Though you will grow weary, you will prevail. The road you travel will be fraught with peril, but I pray that the fresh scent of flora will protect you. Amaterasu…Tsukiterasu…all of you…I wish you a safe and fruitful journey!" With that she disappeared.

"A safe and fruitful journey? After what she said? Gimme a break! But I always knew getting all the brush techniques wouldn't be easy. On to the capital! First stop, the City Checkpoint at Taka Pass!"

* * *

Of course they used Bioblaze to get there, with Issun screaming the whole way.

There was a huge issue, however. There was a _huge_ drawbridge going over the canyon…but it was up. In other words, they couldn't get across. And it would be too risky using the Monsunos.

"Maybe that guard knows what's going on?" Bren suggested.

"Hello there!" he greeted when he noticed them. "I'm Yoichi, greatest archer out of the city guards!"

"Holy smokes! That's some bow ya got there, mister!" Issun exclaimed.

"Yes—this is my trusty bow, Goldenfire, the most powerful bow in all the land! Guarding is rather dull work, so I pass the time practicing archery. I'll show you two what I can do. Watch this!" He launched an arrow into a large cannon next to the drawbridge.

"Wow! Bull's-eye!" Dax exclaimed.

"Pretty good, eh? There's not a target Goldenfire and I can't hit! Now, my friends…why not have a bite to eat and relax a bit?" He gave out some apples to all of them and went back to practicing archery.

"Yeah, but how are we gonna get to the other side?" Issun wondered aloud.

"I have an idea," Chase said, taking his brush out. There were two phoenix statues that were _somehow_ on fire, so he used some of the flames from it to light an arrow—the signal to lower the bridge. What Chase hadn't counted on was the arrow going into the cannon. _Ah krag…_

Long story short…there were a lot of explosions. At least the bridge came down, though.

Jinja looked at Chase in a way that said she was about to scold him, but Yoichi suddenly exclaimed, "What in the world? This is terrible! Nothing like this has ever happened before! My arrow suddenly burst into flames!" There was a pause. Then: "Oh, no! I just remembered I have business to attend to back in the city! Well, seeing how the bridge is back down and all…I better get back to my guarding job in the city. And I'm not just saying that only to disappear on some adventure…Yoichi, the greatest archer, would never dream of such an act! Well, goodbye, and good luck!"

Silence for a minute. Then Jinja said, "That was weird."

"Yeah…one-thousand yen says he's off on some adventure," Issun said. "Well, onward march!" But as they were halfway across the bridge, something made Chase glance back—and he was glad he did. Namely because two familiar people were tailing them _again_.

"Just ignore them, Chase," Ammy whispered.

"Alright…"

So after the two deity-wolves cleaned up the mess they made with the explosions, they pushed onward to the coast…and were in for a shock.

"What the heck?!" Issun exclaimed. "Orochi's stupid cursed-zone spread all the way _here_? I mean, this is even past the city checkpoint! And besides, we already did away with him. I can't believe the cursed zone hasn't gone away here! It must've been one strong curse for this wasteland to survive even after its maker croaked!"

"Issun, I do not believe that this is Orochi's doing," Beyal said, wise as ever.

"Beyal's right," Chase said. "Sakuya did say there were other monsters…maybe it's one of them doing this."

"Let's go find the Guardian Sapling already! I hate this atmosphere," Issun merely said. So they took the left road, seeing as the right one led straight into the cursed-zone.

Once they reached another intersection—though one led to a dead-end—they were attacked by…a statue that was missing a head. Ammy immediately went in to attack with Infinity Judge, while Chase flipped to his wolf-form and struck with Tsumugari. He then decided he was going to stick with glaives for as long as he could. They blew open a wall, revealing a pond with some water and a few other dried-up ponds on ledges. Puzzle much?

While Ammy was restoring the ponds, the others went to the top to see…a dried-up sapling. Like in Hana Valley. But as soon as Ammy brought water up, the tree grew almost instantly, getting the other five to stare in shock.

"My turn," Ammy said, using Bloom. They couldn't see much of the Great Divine Intervention, but they did see that the cursed-zone was totally blown away. "That curse is outta here! Now _this_ is the Ryoshima Coast I know and love!" Issun cheered. There was a pause. Then, "Actually, I don't know it all that well, but…you guys see that sunken ship? I don't remember ever seeing it there before…but Sei-An City is just a bit of a walk from here. You'll find almost everything you could imagine there! How 'bout we mosey on over?"

Getting down was more of a hassle for the rest of Core-Tech, but they managed. Although they paused in front of a place titled "Ankoku Temple." Beyal was looking at it strangely.

"What's wrong?" Jinja asked.

"I…sense a strange presence…" He trailed off. Then he said, "It is nothing. Let us continue."

As they made it down to the sands, Chase immediately saw a fisherman staring out at the sunken ship. When he noticed them he said, "It's such a shame about the ship stranded out there on the rocks. I mean, it was so close to the port. But then it was attacked by that terrifying Water Dragon and sunk. People say there's an invaluable treasure in it, too. But the Water Dragon makes it too dangerous to sail there these days. You should think twice about bathing here, you know. The Water Dragon wouldn't hesitate to snap all of you up."

"Uh…what's a Water Dragon?" Bren asked, sounding nervous.

"You don't know the Water Dragon?! It's the huge dragon god rampaging about in the seas and here. It's supposed to be the god of the sea, keeping peace in the oceans. But one day it just went crazy and started attacking people. All the ships selling food to the city were sunk by it. The queen must've been beside herself."

"Back up—what's this treasure you mentioned?" Dax asked.

"Well, I heard about this weird mallet that makes you as small as a bug. You can get past gaps as small as the eye of a needle with it. I can't think what on earth you could use it for, though. Anyway, you should really just stay away from the water altogether with that Water Dragon around."

"Yeah…we'll keep that in mind," Jinja said. No point in Chase speaking and freaking the heck out of the guy.

Although they did decide to risk crossing the water over to a nearby island that looked like it had a dojo like the one in Shinshu Field. Chase and Ammy were both visibly surprised at who was inside.

It was Onigiri.

"Look who's here! Greetings, my little wolf friends!" he said. "And I see you brought your owners!"

"Huh? Hey, gramps! What're you doing here?" Issun asked.

"I am as elusive as my fighting skills, friend. Be it a lone isle among the waves or the most frigid mountain peak, I forge a warrior's path throughout the land. And what has brought you here? Do you once again seek my tutelage in the fighting arts?"

Long story short, same routine. Although Bren had a comment on Onigiri's…strange ability: "I won't even _think_ about that." At least they learned how to dig through rock and _double-jump_. Chase had thought that action would only be possible in video games, but here he and Ammy were, able to jump off of thin air.

Of course something else had to happen, though. As soon as they stepped onto the port, a bird-looking thing resembling the Crow Tengu appeared, except this one was holding…an umbrella.

Very _scary_ weapon, that was. The Ubume—as it was called—was dispatched without too much trouble…although there was a bit of a fiasco on trying to get it onto the ground. (Power-slash then Galestorm!) After that, they pressed on into the city…unaware of what would happen.


	20. Chapter XIX: Sei-an City 西安京

As soon as they got into the city, they all knew something was wrong.

One, the air tasted weird.

Two, the sky was obscured by weird green clouds.

Three, the trees were all dead and Bloom wasn't helping.

Four, there were miniature cursed-zones spread around.

Five, there were sick people_ everywhere_.

"What the?!" Issun exclaimed. "I thought the big city would be a happenin' place. I mean, I've been here before, and I know what it's supposed to look like. And it sure ain't this. What's up with this funky looking mist? It looks downright hazardous to your health! I wonder if people can actually live normal lives in this nasty stuff. Let's just try talking to some people and see what's going on."

The closest person was just talking to himself, but it paid off to listen. "I wonder what Queen Himiko has been doing all this time. She's normally there for people, even us commoners. And until now she's been able to protect Sei-An City from evil. I don't understand why she would suddenly shut herself away! Queen Himiko, I beg of you! Please come to our rescue!" The last part was at the pitch of some sort of wail.

"Oh, man…this looks bad, you guys…" Issun muttered. Chase noted that none of his friends had said anything about it.

After that they went to one of the stores, which was full of weapons. Strangely the shopowner didn't seem to be sick. "Hello there! What are you doing out here in the mist like this? Now's hardly the time to be walking around Sei-An. Not since that mist arrived so suddenly. The cursed zone's appearance hasn't helped matters either. Queen Himiko's gone and shut herself in her palace. And anyone else is hiding inside their homes. Shouldn't it be the job of our leader to help us through this?"

"I don't think I like the sound of this Himiko chick," Issun decided.

"Me either," Chase agreed.

Jinja put in, "Yeah…what kind of ruler would sit by and let their people suffer like this?" Her voice sounded a bit weird. Chase looked, and thought that his friends looked a bit pale.

The shopowner went on. "Anyway, business is slow to say the least. If you've been sent to do the shopping, then get it over with!" So they looked over what he had to sell…and it was immediately noted that there was a glaive. Seven Strike, a red sword whose edges were divided into seven parts. They barely had enough, and Chase gave Ammy Tsumugari before equipping Seven Strike himself.

"C'mon," Issun said. "Let's keep going. I wanna see what's—hey! You guys okay?" Chase looked, and immediately got worried.

The other five, especially Bren, were starting to look sick themselves—heck, they all had actually collapsed! "That does it—guys, go back to the coast!" Chase ordered.

"No way," Dax got out.

In response Ammy actually picked him up and started dragging him out of the city. Jinja managed to stand on her own, as did Beyal, although Bren needed some support from Jeredy. As soon as they were away from the mist, the sun goddess said, "Alright, you five stay out of the city until Chase and I find a way to get rid of that mist."

"Got it," they replied weakly. Chase frowned. _Yeah, that mist isn't natural. I'll bet you some demon's causing it._

Then Ammy paused, sniffing. "Hang on…I think those people who were following us are in the city."

"Oh great," Chase muttered. Then he noticed—his dad suddenly wasn't there.

"What the—he didn't go back into the city, did he?!" Issun shouted in disbelief.

* * *

Jeredy was doing his best to hold his breath, looking around. _Where are they?_ It honestly shouldn't be that hard to find them—Charlemagne was the only person with blond hair in the city, probably.

Another quick scan of the area, and he noticed her on a street that went off to the side, looking somewhat pallid and leaning onto a torchpost for support.

He went over quickly, wheezing slightly—he was starting to feel sick again. This mist definitely _wasn't _natural. She noticed him before he even got over there. "Vhat do you want?" she muttered.

"You need to get out of here," he said, trying to lead her out. "It isn't safe here."

She tried twisting out of his grip, but obviously she wasn't up for it. Ammy was waiting for them at the entrance, looking at them stiffly. She had Trey with her, who didn't look too good either.

When they got to where the others were, Chase immediately said, "Dad, are you crazy?!"

"Coming from someone who recently fought a giant eight-headed snake?" the scientist retorted.

"…touché."

* * *

"Okay, now I'm positive!" Issun randomly blurted.

"About what?" Chase questioned.

"About the mist! I mean, it's making everyone sick and it won't go away! It's downright unnatural! Seems there are still some people who are unaffected. But who knows what'll happen if this continues for a few more days?"

The Core-Tech leader exchanged a concerned look with Ammy. "Let's split up and try to find any information we can," the white wolf suggested.

So while she and Issun went to see if they could get to the aristocratic quarter, Chase explored the dried up canals, although he wasn't too sure about leaving Charlemagne and Trey with his friends. Then again, they both had looked almost as sick as Bren had.

One, he found a lot of stuff that had probably dropped into the canal. Two, he found a sick guy who babbled something about needing to help his boss.

He quickly found said guy, who was the local carpenter. "Curse that confounded Water Dragon, causing such a commotion!" he yelled in a rage. "How can the god of the sea be ruining the peace like this? I bet the dragon is to blame for the state of this canal, too. All that fuss has caused the lake to plug itself up!"

_Looks like the whole city's a mess._

"Hm? Oh, did you come here for a drink of water, wolf? I'm afraid it's completely dried up. This canal was a really important source of water for us. That's why I'm digging a hole to see if I can tap into it again. So many people are sick now that there's hardly anyone to help out. In face, I'm the only one left. One lowly carpenter." He shook his head as he said this. "But I'll keep trying. You get quite fit doing my job. Now I can reap the benefits. I built almost everything you see here in Sei-An, you know. So there's nothing I don't know about the place. Wanna know where the key to this water source lies?"

Rhetorical question.

"It lies in Lake Beewa's drain plug! You certainly seem to listen well for a pooch. Maybe I should tell you more about Lake Beewa's plug, then. Sei-An City is floating in the middle of Lake Beewa. The water from it is what fills the canal around the city. But the Water Dragon's antics have made the plug seal up. No wonder the canal is dried up. And that's why we're in this sorry state now. I'm sure that the plug is located beneath this area. If I can dig my way to it, the water should come gushing out! It's pretty exciting, don't you think?"

Of course Chase couldn't reply, seeing as he was obviously in his wolf form.

If you think so, then maybe you could help me out!" Chase nodded rapidly.

"Now, of course you know how to dig, right?" Again, nod. "Alright, it's time for wolf and human to pool their energy together! Let's get going!"

Long story short, it was a near-catastrophe. They still managed to find the water, though.

"Look, wolf! Look at this wonderful water from Lake Beewa!" Naguri said happily when they were back on dry land…albeit soaking wet. "Sei-An has had its fair share of hardships lately. The Water Dragon on the rampage, and that strange mist all over…but it matters not what trials present themselves to us. If we solve them one by one, we will emerge unscathed! I suppose my work here is done for now. Thanks, wolf. You did a good job."

Now that his project was done, Chase ran over to the bridge, where Ammy had apparently gone fishing—and caught one heck of a big cutlass fish. Which was weird, because cutlass fish were _ocean fish_, and this was a _lake_.

They disregarded it however, and crossed the bridge. But of course, they were intercepted…by Waka. "Well, well…look what the cat dragged in…what took you so long, _mes__amis_?" he asked.

"Not you again!" Issun complained. Chase silently agreed. "Well, you can't fool us! We're not gonna forget what you did to us back at Orochi's cave! Why do you keep popping up wherever we are, anyway? What're you up to this time?"

"Actually, I'm busy looking for something."

"Bah…some prophet you are. Shouldn't you already know where to look?" Issun pointed out.

"Well, maybe _look_ isn't the right word. I already know where it is. It's just…getting there is proving to be a bit of a problem. Suffice to say, I want it quick and easy!"

"Quick and easy…? Wait a sec…don't tell me you're behind this funky mist? Is this part of a plan to conquer the city and take over the world?" That accusation earned the sprite three dumbfounded looks, but he went on. "You're always up to no good, so I wouldn't be surprised…"

Waka was the first to recover from the shock and stupidity of the situation. "The world?" he asked. "Hm, not bad, my little bouncing friend. You're only half wrong…I seek the _other_ world…I desire a path to the heavens."

"A path to the heavens? Oh, stop beating around the bush and let us know what's on your mind!" Issun yelled, becoming annoyed with the whole situation.

Waka chuckled softly. "This path concerns you, too, _mes__amis_."

"Huh?" Chase asked.

But the French prophet suddenly changed the subject. "This city is in quite a bad state, is it not? Especially this ghostly mist that torments its people…"

"You think we're stupid? We see right through you, pretty boy! We got ya all figured out!" Issun exclaimed without warning.

"Issun, what the krag are you talking about?" Chase said to the sprite.

"I'm talking about this funky mist!" He addressed Waka again. "And your so called 'path to the heavens'…you're in cahoots with Queen Himiko!" he accused.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So just take it step by step," the prophet advised. "You must first deal with this mist. It is slowly but surely killing the people of this city. Wait too long and it's _au__revoir_! The damage will already be done."

"Why you—! Talking about it like it's someone else's problem! You're behind it all! Admit it already!"

Waka rolled his eyes. "Even if I was…what good would come out of arguing about it here? Methinks you should be doing something about the mist now. How about a tip this time instead of a prophecy?" He, as always, made a couple of weird poses before saying "Go through the hole in the wall, little ones!" The three of them just stared. He coughed awkwardly. "Ahem…let me put it this way…even the most solid defense has a tiny gap like the eye of a needle. Or something like that…understand, _mes__amis_?"

"C'mon, you two! I'm sick of talking to this guy!" Issun huffed.

"Now there's something I can agree with," Chase said, pushing on and ignoring Waka. Ammy followed, wagging her tail slightly.

Upon entering the building, they saw a young woman with black hair that entirely covered her right eye and reached a bit below her shoulders, and she was wearing a purple-and-yellow kimono. She was also wearing a red necklace.

"Well, who'd have thought there'd be wolves in here of all places? The world is in turmoil. Have you come to listen to one of my sermons, wolves?"

"Erm…actually, we were just passing through," Issun said.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rao. I'm the regent of Sei-an City. Appointed by Queen Himiko herself." She did a backflip off of where she was sitting and landed in front of them. "So how can I help you, then?" She then noticed Issun standing on Chase's head, where he was very obvious, what with green against black-and-blue. "Oh, you've got a cute little fairy with you!"

"The name' Issun—and I'm a Poncle, not a fairy!"

_So THAT'S what Issun is!_ Chase thought.

"So, you runnin' things around here? Well, there's a funky mist covering the city…and there's talk of a Water Dragon or something off shore. So what's up with the queen holing herself up in her palace? The people of her city are dropping like flies, ya know. How can she be so lazy at a time like this, of all times?!"

"More like heartless," Chase muttered.

"So you've sensed the evil forces over Ryoshima too, then?" Rao asked. "I heard that dreaded Orochi was resurrected in Shinshu Field, though a brave swordsman vanquished him again." Susano—brave? Yeah right. "The ripples of these waves of chaos are reaching Ryoshima, too. The Water Dragon terrorizes the sea and an ill mist covers Sei-an. And in these last few days, the situation has intensified. I don't know what's happening to our peaceful Nippon!"

"She said something about waves of chaos growing stronger recently…hmm…a creepy shadow did scurry off when we defeated Orochi…" Issun mused as if Rao wasn't standing there.

"What are you muttering about, Issun?" Rao tilted her head curiously.

"Well, this will no doubt come as quite a shock, but…the great slayers of the dreadful Orochi are right before your eyes. Behold, the great gods Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu!"

"What? These wolves?" Rao regarded them in shock, and then her tone turned suspicious. "But I heard it was a swordsman called Susano."

"Oh, uh, well…he may have dealt the final blow…but Ammy and Chase did most of the work, I tell you! And if you don't believe me…they're gonna show ya one of their divine powers, right here, right now!"

"Galestorm?" Chase asked.

"Why not?" Ammy agreed. With simple tail-flicks, they made enough wind to be one of those hurricane-simulator things. All of the candles went out, the treasure chests toppled over, the lights on the ceiling were flying around, and a few scrolls fell to the ground. Rao even had trouble staying on her feet and had to crouch down not to fall.

"What was that?" said priestess asked in shock, slowly standing back up.

"You like it? That was one of Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu's divine powers. A mere _taste_ of what the Celestial Brush can do!" Issun announced proudly.

"Celestial Brush…what a mysterious and fearsome power you wield…" She sounded interested.

"Ya got that right, sister! There ain't anything these two can't do!" Chase rolled his eyes at the rhyme.

"Maybe you two could help me with my quest?" She finally addressed them.

"Your quest?" Issun questioned, sounding interested.

"Never mind. Forget I said anything. Now that I've lost my prayer-slips, the situation is completely hopeless."

"C'mon! Tell us what you want!" Issun persisted.

"It doesn't matter. Just forget about it. I have many favors I want to ask now that I've seen your powers, but without my prayer slips, there is nothing anyone can do."

"All right, fine then. Let's just go. C'mon, you two."

Although before they left, they did pick up a scroll. Once they were out…Chase had a strange urge to look at it, even though he wasn't one for reading.

"You really wanna read this? Well, alright," Issun said, opening it up and starting to read it aloud. "It is said that a holy realm called the Celestial Plain is situated in the heavens above Nippon, where the mere mortals dwell. This legend is ancient, and no one today knows of or speaks of it. However, I have been entrusted with the knowledge of this sacred place. One day, I was visited by a strange man who wove for me a strange tale. He said unto me 'The Celestial Plain has met its end.' He related the horrors of this destruction to me at great length. His talk was unbelievable, but his eyes showed no reason to doubt. I only with I had the fortitude to recount his harrowing tale here. I'm afraid my brush cannot bear the heavy burden of that sad fate. It seems that the Celestial Plain was destroyed long, long ago…the gods' spirits, rendered homeless, still inhabit the earth. I try not to think such things when I gaze up at the sky." All three of them were silent for a few moments.

"So it's gone, then," Ammy whispered.

"Ammy?" Chase asked, feeling somewhat uneasy. For some reason, what had been written in that scroll…severely disturbed him.

The sun goddess was silent before saying, "The Celestial Plain…was our home, Chase. It had been for a long, long time. Before even the legend of Orochi."

"Really?"

She nodded. "We were its guardians for countless eons…until it all fell apart." Chase wanted to ask what exactly happened, but judging from the look in Ammy's eyes, she didn't want to go into it. So he didn't ask.

* * *

They explored around a bit—they couldn't get into Himiko's palace due to overprotective guards, so they went for the Emperor's palace instead.

"Psst!" The guard on the left whispered. Just to be on the safe side, they ducked behind a concrete wall. "Psst! Can you hear me?"

"What? We're supposed to be on duty!" the guard on the right snapped, giving the other a clearly-irritated look.

"Well, it's just…I wanted to ask you something. Um, what's your opinion of his highness?"

"What do you mean?" The guard seemed nervous and he lowered his voice. "Surely you're not doubting the worth of our honorable emperor! True, he's had to take to his bed because of this strange illness. But I'm full of hope he'll soon make a speedy recovery."

"And I am too, of course! But there's something about his strange illness that bothers me." Chase's ears perked up in interest. He glanced at Ammy, who looked equally curious. Issun did as well, most likely. "That swirling mist is a little out of the ordinary, don't you think? The moment the emperor took ill, it started to come from his room. And then, before we knew it, it had taken over the whole city! People are really starting to suffer from it, too. Don't you think it's all a bit of a creepy coincidence?"

The other guard was quiet for a moment. "It's definitely odd. I'll grant you that. But it's no use trying to ask his highness how he feels. He just sends everyone away, and he won't even see a doctor. So I don't see that there's anything we can do about it."

"But what about that girl locked up in the cell all alone? She shouldn't be locked up like that. She's done nothing wrong!"

"You mean that girl called Kaguya, right? Hm…orders are orders, so we had no choice but to lock her up. But I can't quite see why his highness wanted us to do it. This city's in a real mess ever since he took ill like this. I wonder what's going on inside the palace."

"Didja hear that?" Issun asked.

"I knew something wasn't right with this mist, but it's apparently coming from the emperor?" Ammy asked.

"We'll work on that," Chase said. "But first…what about the girl they mentioned? Why lock her up if she hasn't done anything?"

"Maybe the sickness is making the emperor more whacked out than he already is?" Issun put in.

"Like you said, Chase, we'll work on that. Right now we need to get Rao's prayer-slips back," Ammy said gently.

"What about those slips of paper over there?" Issun bounced off towards a pile of papers that were lying on the ground a little ways in front of us. "Looks like each one has a spell or something on it. But I have no idea how to use 'em. Don't think they'd do us much good."

"Issun? I think those are the prayer slips."

"Oh…I knew that."


	21. XX: Sunken Ship and Water Dragon 難破船と水龍

Rao instantly jumped in shock when they got into the building. "What have you…? My prayer-slips! You found them? In this huge city?"

"Yep," Chase said.

"Thank you! They're indispensable in my fight against the evil beings. I was sure one of them had stolen them from me. Thank goodness! Yes, your ability to sniff things out really is a divine power." Chase shared a puzzled look with Ammy before Rao continued. "Your names are Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu, correct? Would you mind putting your powers to use for us?"

"Hm? You saying we're the answer to your prayers?" Issun questioned.

"I'm saying you are our only hope. As you have seen, Ryoshima Coast is in turmoil. All because of the evil rising from the darkness…because of the forces of darkness."

"Forces of darkness?"

"Yes. Next to them, the monsters out there in the wild are nothing! They're starting to spread over Ryoshima Coast. And with Queen Himiko confined to her palace, it all falls to me. Normally, I'd use my holy powers to dispel any threat to the city. But this foe is too strong for me. So I have no choice but to ask this favor. Lend me your powers!"

"So that means we'd end up helping Himiko after all?" Issun asked skeptically. "I dunno…sounds kinda fishy to me." Chase silently agreed.

"There are some who think the queen is a coward to shut herself away. But she cares for her subjects. She's praying for our protection. But even she can't calm the Water Dragon and exorcise the city. Not without that sacred treasure to enhance her holy powers."

"Sacred treasure?" Ammy asked in a curious tone.

"That's what I want you to help me find! Please, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu! Let me ask you once again. Will you listen to what I have to ask?"

"Aw, what the heck…let's hear what the pretty lady has to say," Issun muttered.

"Anyway, when you came here to the city, did you see it? Right off the coast near the Ryoshima border, there lies a sunken treasure ship, a victim of the water dragon's rampage That ship was a trading vessel, working between here and abroad. It was transporting a great treasure, ordered by Queen Himiko. But the water dragon attacked every ship in the water. It sunk the ship and its precious cargo right in front of the port! The Fox Rods that the queen had finally managed to locate, a matchless treasure with the power to defeat any foe, would have been Sei-An City's…no, _Nippon__'s_ greatest asset. If we had the Fox Rods now, we could drive out the evil beings. Amaterasu, Tsukiterasu, will you both come to the treasure ship with me and help me search its cargo for the Fox Rods?"

"You want us to do _what_?" Issun exclaimed. "Okay, lemme get this straight. You. Want _us_. To search for treasure. On a sunken. Treasure ship?" He used pauses for emphasis. "Well, I'd do anything for a cute girl, but if my bosses here say no, there ain't much I can do. Well? We gonna help her or what?"

"Of course we're going to help," Ammy answered.

"Bummer! Well, the boss has spoken…" And then he realized what she had said. "Huh? What was that, Ammy?"

"Thank you, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu!" Boy did she like addressing them by their formal names. Chase was glad his fur was black—otherwise it would've been visible that he was blushing a bit. "Okay, let's go to the sunken treasure ship right away, then! Although we must wait until the new moon rises, which is tonight. In the shallows where the ship ran aground, called the Lunar Lagoon, the tide only recedes when the new moon is seen from the Moon Turret. When the tide's out, it's easy to get into the treasure ship. We'll meet there tonight."

* * *

First thing they did when they exited the city was to check on the others. They were all resting in a shaded area close to the ocean, and only Bren was awake at that moment—others were all taking a nap. Who wouldn't—it was gorgeous out, although the sun was starting to set.

"Bren? How are you feeling?" Chase asked, going into his human form.

"Chase? Well, I'm starting to feel a bit better…don't know about the others." He threw a nervous, mistrusting look at Charlemagne and Trey as he said this.

"Dang!" Issun exclaimed. "That mist really did a number on you guys, didn't it?"

"Obviously," Ammy commented, tilting her head slightly to the side in a threatening-to-the-Poncle manner. "We learned a lot of things."

During Ammy's long explanation, Chase noted that Jinja, Beyal, his father, and Trey all woke up at one point, listening silently. Dax was still fast asleep—then again, he was always the last to wake up. To his amusement, Charlemagne was also still asleep. _She didn't seem like a heavy sleeper to me._

"So, you're going out to that sunken ship?" Jinja asked.

"To find a powerful artifact?" Beyal added.

"Uh-huh." Chase nodded. "Tonight…apparently that's the only time to get to the ship anyways."

Ammy yawned. "In the meantime, I think I'll take a nap." She plopped down beside Beyal, asleep immediately. Chase shook his head, smirking a bit.

* * *

The first one up was Ammy. The sun had set now, so there wasn't long to wait. She sighed, and looked over the others. Issun was also napping, for once on Chase's head instead of hers. Chase's friends and father were also asleep. The two other adults…were gone. They had probably woken up and left at one point. Chase was up soon after, and he also took notice that they were gone.

Right as the moon was rising, the two wolves and Poncle made their way out to the Moon Turret. And as soon as they managed to get up via double-jump…

Chase actually went slack-jawed, and Ammy literally yelped in shock. A giant circle of water around the shipwreck just…receded entirely.

"That's something you don't see every day! I wonder if it's safe to walk on that lagoon right now…" the Poncle mused.

"There's only one way to find out, right?" Ammy asked.

"Yep! Leap before you think, furballs!"

As soon as they got into the ship, the first thing that Chase noticed was that there was a door, which had strange symbols and a purplish aura around it. "What's that?" he asked, going into human-form.

"Whatever it is, it looks like a curse," Issun replied. "They probably sealed it up like that to keep looters out. But I've never seen such a sinister looking curse before. I sure hope this whole ship isn't one big curse…whatever it is, that puppy ain't gonna be easy to dispel."

Then a familiar voice called, "Amaterasu! Tsukiterasu!" They glanced toward the sound—it was Rao. Said priestess stopped suddenly. "…Tsukiterasu?"

"Uh, yeah…" Chase said, immediately getting a bit sheepish. "I don't know if Ammy can do this too or not."

"I can," said goddess remarked.

"Then why don't you?"

"Because there's no real need to."

Rao went on as if they hadn't spoken. "I'm sorry I'm late. My political duties delayed me."

"This is the treasure ship you were talking about?" Issun asked.

"Yes…this is where the Fox Rods that Queen Himiko was looking for are. It was sunk by the Water Dragon and now it's filled with monsters. But my powers can only deal with a few dozen monsters. There's nothing to worry about. Let's go in!" Rao exclaimed.

"That's all fine and dandy…but what about this cursed door here? Was it sealed up like that to keep looters out? Or maybe it's the curse of those who died when the Water Dragon sunk their ship. That thing's just _seething_ with an intensely evil power."

"So, that's a cursed door to stop anyone from getting through…I see. That's a neat trick."

"You got that right. We better find another way it." Then Rao did a twirl, and very suddenly she was holding her prayer slips. Was she a magician too?

"It's time we joined forces, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. There'll be more barriers sealed by magic as we get further inside. When we come to them, I'll use a prayer slip to break the seal. So if you don't mind…" She jumped into the air, did a flip, and landed on Ammy's back.

"Um, Rao?" Chase spoke up. "Could you _please _call me Chase? Seriously…it's what I'm used to."

Rao gave him a queer look for a few moments in response before smiling. "Of course. So…handling the prayer slips is my affair. But I would like your assistance in targeting. Don't worry. What I ask is not difficult. You know how to manipulate the brush of the gods, I believe?"

"Yeah," Chase replied, taking out his brush to show.

"All right, use that power to guide the prayer slip from my hand to its target. So, let's practice on the curse blocking the door, shall we?"

"Sure." The Core-Tech leader took a deep breath. Using the Celestial Brush worked differently when he was…well, himself. For one, he actually had to focus to use it. Doing such, the colors all faded so that the familiar canvas world appeared. Carefully he drew a line of white ink connecting one of the prayer slips to the door. Things returned to normal immediately, and the slip flew out of Rao's hand and made contact with the door. The purple aura and symbols vanished, and the door split in two.

"Fantastic! As long as I have my power slips, there's nothing to be afraid of. Not even monsters! Enough practice now. Great treasure waits! Let's go find the Fox Rods!"

No sooner did they take a few steps did they see some…ghost imps. Two were instantly taken care of at the same time, courtesy of their strange same-time brushwork, and the third was tackled by Issun. They got Demon Fangs as rewards, strangely.

_Bren would hate this place,_ Chase thought. _Something tells me I'm not gonna like it too much either._

Once they got to the top of the staircase they had to jump down. The whole room was filled with boxes, which yielded various items. "Whoa…just look at all those treasure chests!" Issun exclaimed excitedly. "Heh-heh-heh…we're gonna be millionaires even before we find those Fox Rods!"

After they got the treasures, they came to a giant distraction. "Is that who I think it is…?" Chase asked slightly-worriedly.

"Oh krag, I think she sees us!" (Ammy)

"Since when did you say 'krag' Ammy?" (Chase)

"You say it all the time!" (Ammy)  
"AHH! Make her go away!" (Issun)

"What is that thing?" (Rao)

"Spider Queen!" (Ammy)

"I think she's gone now…" (Chase)

"_Gah_!" (Issun)

"Okay, _now_—" (Chase)

"Don't jinx it again!" (Issun)

After that incident, they went down the path to the left, destroying the obvious spear-traps along the way, and they came to the next room. Smack-dab in the middle was a giant pile of bones…and two hermit-crab demons dropped from the ceiling.

"Called it," Chase said, readying Seven Strike. Said glaive had actually altered its own size to fit his grip. Of course those things' shells were iron-hard, so he cheated a bit—Vengeance Slip.

So he was able to keep whaling on them and couldn't get hurt at all, since said blue slips provided a free, temporary barrier.

Next hallway—Golden Gate and another cursed door. No biggie. Room after hallway—there was a hole in the ceiling letting starlight shine in. "Isn't it beautiful?" Rao asked. "Even a ship doomed by the Water Dragon can enjoy the starlight. But it only looks like this inside the ship when there's a new moon. As soon as the sun comes up, cold seawater floods the ship again. Yes, this ship has suffered a cruel fate."

"Ammy?" Chase asked.

"Sunrise—got it," she replied, doing as such.

* * *

Outside, the others were very suddenly jolted awake when the sun very suddenly came up. "Oh Ammy," Jinja sighed. All of them were feeling much better now—but they were all definitely staying out of the city until the mist was gone.

Jinja looked around, doing a head-count—both Charlemagne and Trey weren't there. _Figures._

* * *

"B-but…that's impossible!" Rao gasped. "It can't be daybreak yet! Surely this can't be…you didn't do this, did you, Amaterasu?"

"That _is_ sort of her signature technique," Chase explained. "Mine does the opposite."

"Your powers can control the very movement of the heavens!"

"That's one way to put it." He felt himself blushing a bit again.

They backtracked, passing through the Golden Gate on the way. But as their luck went, the crabs were back. And they apparently had the ability to turn into a giant shark when there was water.

Chase had a brilliant idea at that moment. "Power-Slash!" he exclaimed.

"_What_?" Issun exclaimed, incredulous.

"Just do it!"

Puzzledly they complied…and the shark was sushi within minutes.

"That actually worked," Ammy commented, looking a bit surprised.

At least they had a reason to use Water-Lily again. The next room had pieces of wood floating around, which they used to jump across, and they were now able to use a large floating barrel to get to the top.

Chase examined the area below. There was a large cannon, three targets stacked on top of each other, and a submerged lockjaw. Confirmed that those things weren't really alive, otherwise it would've drowned by now. There were also three targets, so after a fun balance minigame, they had a pearl, a Celestial Fragment, and the Exorcising Key. Unfortunately the latter was underwater as well.

There were four other ghost-imps, which were hastily taken care of. They proceeded through the passageway…although both Chase and Ammy hesitated. Both of them had some strange sense that _something _was there. Something bad.

They crossed a narrow bridge of floating wood. And then—this _huge_ thing that looked like a hand made of seaweed rose out of the water, causing them to jump into the nearest place they could take cover. "What was that?!" Chase asked.

"I'm not sure," Ammy replied. "Let's just get through that room as fast as possible."

The next few minutes involved him running as fast as he could while Ammy rolled a barrel in the water over to some kind of twin-hook-chain things.

And in the end, the seaweed-hand simply tried squishing them without bothering to track them, unlike the other times. As it turned out the pathway was just one giant loop, so now they were back in the room missing part of the ceiling. "I understand now," Rao said. "Once the water drains, the scale on this side will go up. You can use it to get back onto that ledge, backtrack to the room with the cannon, and open that lock." Ammy and Chase both nodded. "So why don't you turn day into night now, Tsuk—I mean, Chase?" Chase did as such without a word.

* * *

The four teens and scientist all looked up again when it suddenly became dark. Bren groaned before going to change the time on the Core-Tablet again.

"They've _really_ gotta stop doing that," Dax said.

"Well, they probably have to do that to explore the sunken ship more," Jinja reasoned.

"Yes," Beyal agreed. "The water flows out at night, and back in when morning comes."

"Well, why don't we have a bit of fun while we wait, then?" Dax suggested.

"Like what?" Bren asked.

In response the Lowlander held up one of his cores. "No one's around to see, right?"

"He's right," Jinja said, smirking and taking Whipper's core out. "You're on, Daxy."

But right as they were about to spin their cores out, a familiar voice interrupted. Namely, Trey. "Freeze punks!"

The four of Core-Tech all turned. Both the commander and the Commandant-Marshal were standing there, cores in hand. "You know, we could've left you guys in the city," Jinja growled.

Dax, meanwhile, smirked. "About time," he said. "I was getting bored!"

* * *

As soon as the water went out, the scale attempted to re-balance itself, which allowed them to hop up and backtrack. When they entered the room occupied by the living seaweed…

"What _is_ that thing?!" Chase exclaimed, gagging a bit.

"The seaweed hand." Ammy jumped down to the floor below. Said thing was now reduced to a giant blob of…well, seaweed. Living, _breathing_ seaweed, that is.

Two spiked barrels were nearby. The black-haired teen exchanged a look with the white wolf, and they nodded. Although Chase had to switch over to wolf form—earning a shocked gasp from Rao—in order to balance on it. "Time to squish some seaweed, furballs!" Issun exclaimed.

They kept steamrolling the thing until it finally disappeared, yielding fifty Praise to each of them. After they did that, they backtracked to the room with the lockjaw. Ammy ran and got the key, then charged the lockjaw, which was destroyed in a burst of light.

They went into the next hallway, and wrecked another cursed door…only to have the ghost of Crimson Helm show up out of nowhere. No freak-out this time—they simply waited until it was gone for sure.

"Look at all this treasure!" Issun exclaimed. "We're gonna be rich!" They wound up collecting a stray-bead, a laqureware set, and some sort of hammer…but no Fox Rods.

"What is this?" Rao asked, holding the mallet in her hands.

"Finally, something interesting!" Issun said happily. "Wait…this is a Lucky Mallet. Is this what you were lookin' for?"

"It can shrink people down until they become so small that they can pass through the eye of a needle." Chase exchanged a look with Ammy at that. "Certainly, a tool with such powers is a great treasure…but it doesn't provide an answer to Queen Himiko's prayers for peace."

"Hm…someone else mentioned the eye of a needle…" Issun trailed, and then he snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah. It was that half-baked prophet Waka back in Sei-An City, remember?"

"'Even the most solid defense has a tiny gap like the eye of a needle,'" Ammy quoted with a nod.

"Wonder what kinda place he was talking about."

"Amaterasu, Tsuk—Chase," Rao said, getting their attention. "It seems what I was looking for isn't on this ship. Unfortunately, we must leave without it."

"Aw, cheer up. The ocean's a big place. You'll find what you want somewhere!"

"That may be so, but going into the ocean now is suicide. Well, as long as the Water Dragon is still about, that is…"

"Sheesh. Nobody can shut up about that thing," Issun complained. "You'd think the Water Dragon ruled Ryoshima Coast or something! Well, don't forget we have the bosses with us!" And with that, they left the sunken ship.

* * *

Like clockwork, the sun rose right as they exited the ship, allowing them to swim back to shore. Chase immediately noted that there was a Monsuno battle going on.

"What on earth are those?!" Rao exclaimed in shock.

"Uh, long story," Issun said.

Suddenly Rao tensed up. "C-Can't you swim any faster, Amaterasu?" she asked in an urgent tone. She gave a worried glance behind them. "Huh? I mean, what'd ya expect? Ammy and Chase are wolves, not speedboats! Well, _right now_ Chase's a wolf…"Rao still wouldn't stop looking around. Chase began feeling concerned himself. After all, he thought he heard a large splash behind them.

"You don't understand!" Rao said desperately. "This swelling of the waves is a sign that it's coming…" On shore, Chase saw Beyal look out toward them…and instantly go pale.

Jinja followed the white-haired boy's gaze, and she paled as well. She also shouted, "_Chase! Ammy! GET OUT OF THERE!_"

That did not help Chase's anxiety. Neither did the fear in her voice "Here we go again…" Issun grumbled. At the even-louder sound behind them, Chase started to think that Issun was half-deaf. "Even if it _is_ that…Water Dragon, or whatever, we'll take care of the beast in a jiffy! It'll regret the day it messed with us!"

On shore Chase saw his friends and father immediately get extremely-scared-and-worried looks. He also noted both Charlemagne and Trey were there (reason of the Monsuno battle), and they suddenly looked absolutely _terrified_, which was a shocker.

Reason being?

First thing Chase noted was that a huge shouted loomed over him, Ammy, Issun, and Rao. Then he looked up—and almost had a heart-attack. An absolutely _huge_ thing that looked a bit like a moray eel had risen out of the water, and roared menacingly at them. Presumably it was the Water Dragon.

"Wh-wh-what the?" Issun was in shock. The Water Dragon snapped at him, Ammy, and Rao (strangely it ignored Chase), and Rao leaped off of Ammy's back, somehow jumping across the water like ground as the Water Dragon followed. "WHERE'D THAT THING COME FROM?!" the Poncle screamed. Rao barely managed to escape, as the Water Dragon face-cliffed. "Is _that_ the Water Dragon?" Issun asked in disbelief as it shook its head and fixed its attention on the two wolves. It roared again, and went underwater, shooting toward them all the while. "Look out!"

"Lily-Pad to shore!" Ammy commanded, sounding worried. The next minute was probably the fastest Chase had ever moved in his life, along with Ammy. They were practically blurs moving over the water, using Lily-Pad exactly the instant before they touched the water.

As soon as they were on shore, Chase immediately returned to human-form, gasping for breath. Issun and Ammy both were also panting.

"Chase!" he heard Bren and Jinja shout. "Was that what I think it was?!" the glasses-wearing teen exclaimed, sounding hysterical.

At the same time, Issun asked, "What the heck was that monster?"

"Water Dragon, I'm guessing," Chase got out, still trying to calm his nerves. He looked around. _Huh. Where did those other two vanish to? _A reasonable answer surfaced. _Judging by the looks that were on their faces, they bolted._

"Hey wait," Issun suddenly said. "What about Rao? She just took off without us!"

"She was about to be eaten by the dragon, Issun. Give her a break," Jinja said.

"I agree with Issun," Beyal suddenly said. "I find it strange that she left you to the Water Dragon, and escape herself."

"Boy, I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind next time we meet!" Before Issun was done ranting, the Lucky Mallet appeared in front of their group. "How'd it jump out all by itself? Well, I hate to see treasure run off like that! After it, you two!"


	22. Chapter XXI: Blight エキビョウ

"Stay!" Issun commanded when they ran into Rao. Strangely enough, the Lucky Mallet actually obeyed and just bounced in place while they spoke.

"Oh, thank goodness you're safe!" Rao exclaimed when she saw them.

Issun was immediately on her case. "Hey, what're you doing here? And how come you didn't tell us about that monster?"

"I-I'm sure I mentioned something about the Water Dragon…didn't I?" she stuttered.

"Yes, you did," Chase said, glaring at Issun—who was standing on Ammy's head.

"Bah, whatever…" he grumbled, not wanting to argue with both Rao and Chase. "Anyway, you'd better not be trying to trick us!"

"What are you talking about? I was nearly eaten alive too, you know!" Rao held up her hands in defense. "But however did you get away? You're both rather slow swimmers…"

"What did you just say? Take that back! Ammy and Chase get kinda sensitive about their flaws!" Chase growled threateningly at the Poncle—he really had to stop making things up.

"Sorry," Rao apologized. "But about the Fox Rods…if they're not on that ship, then where on earth are they? If they're lost in the sea, the vast realm of the Water Dragon, then there's no way we'll ever find them!"

"Oh, cheer up!" Issun tried to be optimistic. "I'd hate to see you cry." The conversation was cut short by the Lucky Mallet suddenly deciding to bounce out of the door, forcing them to follow.

The Lucky Mallet led them to the Emperor's palace, right where they had found Rao's prayer-slips. Chase tried not to breathe too much through his nose, since this was the area with the most mist. "Heh-heh! We got you cornered, you…you…mallet! No treasure's ever escaped from the great Issun! I'm gonna sell you to some greedy merchant, and—hm? Hey, wait…check it out, you two. Isn't this the palace where that swirling mist is coming from?" Then he did something weird by addressing the _mallet_. "You made us chase you here for a reason, mallet? Wait, I think I get it…" He turned his attention back to Chase and Ammy. The Lucky Mallet can shrink people, right?" Again to the mallet. "You wanna shrink Ammy and Chase here. Then you want us to go into that creepy looking hole, don't ya!" And back to them again. "I dunno…why would hammerhead here want us to go in there?

"…still, it might be worth checking out. I mean, this palace has gotta be the source of that mist. If Queen Himiko's not gonna do anything about this mess, then it's up to us to find out the truth! Anyway, we haven't found a single brush technique in this darn city! How could we possibly pass up this palace? Okay, mallet! We'll enter the hole. Now come on and work your magic on Ammy here! Ready to get hammered, furball?"

"Bring it!" Ammy said with a determined smile. The Lucky Mallet shook above her head and soon she was just a glowing dot. Then the dot flew into the crack in the wall and disappeared.

"Alright, your turn Chase!" Issun said happily.

"Uh, actually Issun…I think I'll pass."

"_What_?" the sprite repeated, sounding incredulous. "Don't tell me you're scared!" He moaned in annoyance mixed with frustration.

"Actually, I just want to hang out with my friends for a bit. There's still a lot of stuff we have to catch up on."

"…fine. Have it your way." Issun hopped through the crack in the wall. Chase shook his head before turning around, heading back toward the coast.

* * *

Amaterasu examined her surroundings. Giant grass here, giant grass there, giant grass everywhere! Then a voice suddenly said, "Ahahahahahaha! You should see the look on your face!" Ammy turned, and saw a person standing there. She had a blank moment, and couldn't figure out who it was. "A few shakes of the Lucky Mallet reduces things to my size! It's not for clobbering people or anything, silly! Boy, I'll never get tired of messing with your head!" She immediately went into battle stance. "Huh? What's gotten into you, Ammy?" he asked in a frustrated tone. "You forgot what I looked like already?"

She stopped growling. He _did _sound familiar…

"Now listen here, furball! You'd better remember me this time or else! I'm Issun the wandering artist! You got it?" Oh. _Ohh_. That was Issun!

He looked about the same age as Chase's friends. He had purple clothes, a green cape, and a green beetle for a hat—no wonder people always thought he was a bug. He had his sword at his side, and Ammy noted that it also doubled as her paintbrush. His eyes were forest green and had a mischievous glint in them, but then again, they probably always did.

"Bet you see my in a new light now!" Issun said with a smirk. "Let's check out the palace. We gotta find out what's behind that swirling mist. You might be no bigger than a dust-bunny now, but I bet ya still got a lotta fight left in you!"

Ammy figured he was about to jump onto her back then. So she simply decided to go into her human form. Issun immediately froze, jaw-dropping. "A-Ammy?! I didn't know that _you_ could do that too!"

"Do the math, Issun," she said. "Chase is my counterpart, and he can do it."

"…right. Well, c'mon! We're losing daylight here!"

They went forward a bit, and immediately had to scramble back as a giant foot came out of nowhere and nearly crushed them. "Whoa! That was close. Better watch out, or we'll end up on the bottom of someone's shoe. Heh, now you know what I have to deal with! Anyway, this mist is getting thicker, isn't it? I _knew_ there was something fishy about this palace!"

Something struck Ammy. "Issun, where's Chase?"

"Hm? Oh, he wanted to hang out with the others for a while. Said he wanted to catch up on some things." She nodded, understanding.

They came to a fork in the road. One way was blocked off by a lockjaw. The other was…guarded by a spider. "See that?" Issun said. "That's what they call a blocking-spider. Those nasty buggers just won't let you by sometimes! They normally leave you alone, but they can be unpredictable. But I don't think this one will do any harm."

So they pressed on, having to hop across some rocks to avoid going into a lake of poisonous water. Issun stopped. "Hey, what's that?" he asked. "Sounds like someone's crying." Ammy looked in the direction Issun was looking, and she saw a girl whose back was turned. "Isn't that a jail cell? Someone's in there. But I can't tell who she is. Her back is towards us. Well, they usually turn out to be ugly when they turn around, anyway. Plus, we don't wanna attract any attention if she raises a fuss. Forget about her. Let's keep going!"

Ammy glanced one more time at the girl, feeling sorry for her, before following Issun. For some reason, her scent was strangely familiar.

As soon as they were away from the poison lake, they were interrupted by some sort of mirror with lightning surrounding at it, showing a person's face. Didn't last too long with her using Tsumugari and Issun using Denkomaru, though. And they got the floral-finisher by Power-Slashing, which gave out two Demon Fangs. They had what, ninety now?

As for the next room, Ammy wound up using her wolf form. Due to the fact that it involved lots of running and not getting squashed. She did manage to find the Exorcising Key, though.

They backtracked, though halfway across the poison lake they were interrupted again. "Hello? Is somebody there?" a voice asked. They both froze. "Are you mallet bearers? It's hard to see from here…" It was the girl who had spoken.

"Mallet bearers? What the heck are you talkin' about?" Issun was just as confused as Ammy was.

"Oh, who are you?" By the way the girl was hiding her face, Ammy figured she was scared of them a little.

"Oh, uh…just a couple of passersby…are you that girl we heard crying before? Sounded kinda fake if you ask me."

"Issun…" Ammy warned.

"You're not some no-good monster trying to trick us, are ya?"

"Issun!"

"What? Oh, no…at least, I don't think so." At least the girl was being honest. "I came to Sei-an City to sell some of my grandfather's bamboo ware. But the emperor who lives in this palace had me arrested for some reason."

"Your grandfather's bamboo ware…is your grandpa that Mr. Bamboo back in Kusa Village?" Issun asked, guessing.

"You know my grandfather?"

"Yes, we do," Ammy replied.

"He raised me back in Kusa Village. My name is Kaguya." Apparently Kaguya was alleviated by the fact that they knew her grandfather, as she let them see her face. Ammy didn't even need to glance at Issun to know that he was drooling. _Pervert._

But the fact that had Ammy's attention was that Kaguya had blond hair. And yellow eyes. No one in Nippon had blond hair…and the only blond-haired person she had seen was that woman from Chase's world. Yes, Waka also had yellow eyes, but still. Only those three.

"But I'm afraid that's about all I can tell you." Kaguya turned away from them slightly. "I don't know why I've been imprisoned here…I don't even know who I really am, or where I originally came from."

"Huh," Issun mused. "Well, you just sit tight, honeypie! We'll get you out!" He slashed the air with Denkomaru. "The great Issun's gonna straighten out that mean old emperor. Then I'll come back and set you free!"

"No, I…um…" Kaguya stuttered.

"Don't you sweat is, sweetie! You just sit tight! We're gonna search every nook and cranny of this palace. And I'm gonna give that emperor a piece of my mind when we find him! So don't you worry your pretty little head. My partner may not look like much now, but she's actually the sun goddess Amaterasu! Now just sit back and relax. We got it covered. Let's go, Ammy!"

Before they left, Kaguya had one more thing to say. "I don't know if this will help, but…the emperor buried some treasure in the corner of his garden. But please don't do anything risky."

"We won't, don't worry," Ammy assured. "And we'll try to get you out of there as soon as we can."

They went through the passage previously blocked by the lockjaw, and went down a hole that had to be blown open.

They were now in a room full of spiders. Issun called them platform-spiders, and started explaining, but Ammy tuned him out and made her way down. The Poncle grumbled something about her being impatient before following.

There was a stone box, which a section of was easily blown open. It was full of all sorts of treasures, but the one that had their attention was…

"A flask?" Issun asked. "Is that even considered a treasure?"

"Does it really matter?" And the blocking-spider in the room was apparently bipolar, as it was suddenly blocking the way out.

"Uh-oh! Wonder why that blocking-spider got so bent outta shape all of a sudden. Now we're gonna have one heck of a time getting out of here…"

The sun goddess ignored him, instead Power-Slashing the flask down, and jumping inside. One thing for sure, the air was a lot cleaner in there. "Hey, there's a strange mist in this flask, too," Issun noted. "But it's somehow different from that mist outside. I dunno…it feels kinda comforting."

_Alright then. I'll just do this._ She proceeded to use Galestorm to blow them and the mist out.

"Wow! You're getting good at that one! Almost _too_ good!"

"Thank you."

"I dunno why the emperor hid this flask here, but he shouldn't be hogging such comforting mist all to himself!"

And then the stars started shining, even though they were underground and it was daytime. That meant only one thing. _A new brush technique!_

Ammy immediately finished the constellation—and very suddenly she saw Chase standing beside her, although it was more of in-spirit. He looked around wildly, and then noticed her. "Wha'—Ammy?!" Then he saw the brush-god—Kasugami. Who was a sheep.

She, as always, had a flask full of sake on her back, and drank from it before epically falling down. Once she stood up, she said, _"Ah, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. After our separation, I took to wandering the corners of the earth. Before long, I was sealed away here by a sinister power. Your arrival has broken that seal. Now I, Kasugami, grant you the power of mist. Glisten over all creation like fleeting dew!"_ And after tripping one more time, she handed over the technique. The area returned to normal in a flash, and it was just Ammy and Issun again.

* * *

Chase stumbled and shook his head. "Uh, Chase? What was that about?" Bren asked. "You just…blanked out."

"New brush technique," he said. He looked puzzled for a moment, and then grinned. "Veil-of-Mist. Watch this!" Two parallel lines, one on top of the other. Immediately a strange mist suffused the area for a few moments, and they noted that the nearby animals had slowed down for some reason.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ammy had deployed said technique in order to get by the blocking-spider.

They were ambushed by another mirror—although this one used wind, therefore resulting in them having to use Veil of Mist instead of Galestorm—but like the other, it didn't last long.

They backtracked to where Kaguya's cell was. "Heya, Kaguya. You were right about the emperor hiding treasure in his garden. Thanks to you, Ammy here got another brush technique back!" Issun announced. "And so did her friend, wherever he is right now!"

"Don't do anything dangerous on account of me. Please be careful, you two," Kaguya told them.

"Don't you worry, honeypie! We'll get you outta there once we've raked that emperor over the coals and figured out what's behind that swirling mist."

They passed through the room with the guards on cleanup duty using Veil-of-Mist every two seconds to be safe, and then navigated over another poison lake.

And after dealing with two more mirrors, one using fire and the other ice, they finally managed to get onto the rafters above the emperor's room. Said guy didn't look too good.

He was lying in his bed, sleeping. As well as snoring like a volcano ready to blow. The green mist was pouring out of his mouth, which looked how the palace did from Sei-an, due to their size, He twitched erratically in his sleep and, believe it or not, his face was _purple_. "Isn't that the emperor? I'd heard that he was sick in bed, but I never expected him to be the source of that funky mist! He's directly below us—it's like the royal oaf's mouth is just begging us to dive on in!"

Ammy sighed heavily. _Maybe it's better Chase isn't here. _They both took running leaps.

"…are we inside the emperor's body now?" Issun asked.

"It looks that way, Issun," Ammy replied, shuddering. "Let's figure out what's wrong and get out as fast as possible." They went a bit deeper, and they reached an area that strangely looked like an arena. What stuck out was a glowing blue sword in the center.

Of course the mist immediately gained their attention as well. "No way! This is insane!" Issun exclaimed. "This mist…it's alive!" As if it heard him, all the mist was pulled into the sword. A body of armor that was pierced with arrows and swords all over, but had no actual body, appeared and picked up the blue sword.

"Under my control, this body breathes evil mist over the city." A voice, presumably the mist's, echoed ominously. "And you…you dare attempt to clear the skies of my poison?"

"Exactly," Ammy said, glaring. No doubt about it—this was _definitely_ the demon behind all this.

"Waging battle with me inside a human body will be no easy task."

"I think we can handle it."

"Even now, Goldnail, the mighty sword, cries out for your blood!"

"That's…a strange thing to tell someone."

"Come! Step forward so that I, the indomitable Blight, may cut you down!"

"You asked for it."

The whole fight took a bit longer than expected, but that was probably because they didn't have Chase with them. It probably still only took about three minutes, though.

* * *

_Blight, a disease residing within the emperor's body and born of the intense hatred and evil of the cursed sword Goldnail, was the source of the acrid mist that had plagued the capital's citizenry. But even a creature so despicable and full of hatred was no batch for our intrepid heroes Amaterasu and Issun. Blight's defeat brought with it a lifting of the acrid fog. The emperor, now freed of evil's influence, returned to normal. Amaterasu and the others had earned a brief moment of respite. However, evil conspired to cut the tranquil scene short. From Goldnail's defeated form rose the familiar blackness. The spirit of evil and hatred that had resided within the sword, black as midnight and deep as the sea, rose skyward. Make no mistake...this was undoubtedly one of the foul spirits that dispersed from Orochi's broken body. Quickly and steadily it rose. Then, it shot off toward the distant sea and over the horizon. It moved with purpose, as to rendezvous with a lost friend. Amaterasu and the others had no time to rest. If they were truly to restore the capital to its normal routine, they still had to deal with the threat of the Water Dragon. This tale is far from over..._

* * *

Chase and the others watched as the black shadow flew off somewhere as the mist dissipated. "So…do you think it's safe to go into the city?" Bren asked.

Chase nodded, grinning. "I knew Ammy would find out what was wrong. Let's go!"

* * *

"You had it coming big time, gas bag!" Issun yelled into the air as if Blight was still alive to hear him. "You aren't even in the same league as the magnificent Issun! Well Ammy, that's that! How 'bout one of those victory howls? Oh, wait…I almost forgot—Kaguya's still locked up! Ammy, seems pops here is still snoozing away. How 'bout we just take control and make him unlock her cell? Why bother with waking him up to explain everything, anyway?"

"How do we do that?"

"Watch and learn!" Issun then did what he did best—jump around like a flea. "First, I'll stir up his stomach like this, and then…" Everything started shaking. "What the? Yikes!" Luckily, after a few seconds, it stopped, although Ammy was very dizzy. Issun had wound up on his head, leaned up against her. "What the?" he asked. "You okay?"

"Yes." She stood, causing Issun to fall over. "Well, looks like we got the emperor to stand up. C'mon! We gotta get this royal oaf moving. Let's get him over to where they're holding Kaguya!"

And thus commenced the great bouncing war. The battle went on for a good thirty minutes before they managed to get over to Kaguya's cell. Ammy and Issun decided on it being a tie.

"Are you…the emperor?" Kaguya asked in a timid voice. "But if you're here, does that mean those two are…? Oh dear! It's all my fault! How shall I ever apologize?"

"Hm…let's see...how 'bout you start off by making me a hundred dumplings!" Issun suggested with a huge smile.

"Huh?"

"Heh-heh…just pulling your leg, sweetie! You think we'd buy the farm that easy?"

"That voice…!"

"Anyways, the emperor was being controlled by a nasty stomach virus, but we took care of it. Things should get back to normal soon. Now, let's make this royal oaf open your cell! Let's see…"

Ammy knew he had succeeded when Kaguya said, Oh, thank you! I thought I'd never get out of there!"

"No time for chit-chat, Bamboo Girl. We freed the emperor from that monster controlling him, but things are still a bit dicey around here. We're gonna hightail it outta this place. I suggest you do, too! Now, let's see here…oh, yeah." Issun bounced up to the platform. _Oh no._ "Coochie-coochie-coo!"

They were very suddenly launched out of the emperor, returning to normal size as they flew. Ammy picked herself up, immediately returning to wolf form. Issun quickly got onto her head. "Heh-heh…I know what you wanna do, Ammy!"

"Victory howl," she affirmed.

"I agree. That'll make it feel like we've set things straight here! I mean, we've already freed that Bamboo Girl. Now give us one of those victory howls to wake up the emperor!"

And the sun goddess complied, letting out an optimistic howl. Perfect way to let Chase and his friends know it was safe to come into the city, if they didn't know already.


	23. Chapter XXII: Queen Himiko 女王卑弥呼

"Hm…I wonder what was wrong with me," the emperor mused to himself. The victory howl had indeed woken him up, and he had wanted to speak with them…even though Ammy was in her wolf-form. "People say I took to my bed with an illness, but I don't recall. I remember meeting with a bamboo seller named Kaguya. And I remember a secret treasure for crossing a sea of fire…but I've totally lost my memory of what happened after that. It's almost like I had been possessed by a strange spirit."

"Bah, talk about a troublesome emperor! But Kaguya's safe and all. Guess we can cut him some slack," Issun muttered.

"A white wolf…and a curious bouncing ball…I have an uncanny feeling that I had a dream about you three. I must apologize to Queen Himiko for my unforgivable blunders!"

"Himiko…yes! That's right! This city's a complete mess—and Queen Himiko's not doing a thing about it! Boy, am I gonna give her a piece of my mind!"

The emperor apparently didn't hear Issun's rant. "Ah, the lovely white wolf. For some reason, I seem to feel so relaxed when you are around. I have this peaceful feeling, as though you know me inside out."

"Oh, we know you from the inside, believe me!"

"I'm collecting demon fangs, you know," the emperor told them. "If you have any for me, you can take some of my treasure. People will probably say I'm foolish for giving treasure to wolves. But you're my lucky wolf! I'm certain some good will come of it. Surely you've collected lots of them, eh? What do you think? Would you like to make a swap?"

Ammy decided to go for the important-looking thing…namely, the Fog Pot. There was a flash of light, and very suddenly Kasugami was there. As was Chase, just like last time. The brush-god spoke up. _"Ah, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. Our separation had weakened me. My power has reached its peak. I hereby bestow upon you the power of mist warp!"_ And then they were back in the palace (and Chase was back to wherever he was at the moment)

"Whoa! Never expected something like that from a flask!" Issun exclaimed.

"At least we got another technique. That's all that matters," Ammy said.

The sun was setting by then, and surprisingly they ran into Kaguya outside. "Heya, bamboo girl!" Issun greeted. "What're you doing spacing out here? I mean, you're free now. You can go anywhere you want."

Kaguya turned around. "Oh, hello, you two! I hardly recognize you! You were so tiny when we first met. You certainly cut a dashing figure at full size!"

"Ya think so?" Issun asked. "Well, actually, I hear stuff like that all the time!" Both Ammy and Kaguya stared at him.

"Oh, yes…I meant you, too, Issun…"

"Anyway, the city is a dangerous place right now. You should head back to your grandpa's house. That emperor fella's got an eye for that treasure of yours, right? You should get away before others start sniffin' around! Plus, your grandpa seems awfully lonely, ya know."

"Really?" Kaguya asked. "Oh, I see…that dear old man thinks of me as his own granddaughter. I would really like to return, but…"

"Wait, you're _not_ his granddaughter?" Issun paused, mulling it over. "Aw, anyway…you should just go see him if you feel that way."

Kaguya was quiet for a second. "I know nothing of my past. I don't even know who I am or where I came from. My first memory is of waking up in a bamboo grove. The bamboo cutter took me home, where I was lovingly cared for. To repay his kindness, I helped him with his bamboo ware."

"If that's the case…then why don't you hurry up and go see him?"

Kaguya gained a misty look in her eyes. "I _do_ recall one faint memory, though… I thought long and hard while I was imprisoned. It was then that I remembered being in a small, dark room long ago. And the royal crest engraved in the ground at Sasa Sanctuary…I feel as if I must go there at once!" Without warning she took off.

At that moment Chase and his friends ran up to them. "Ammy, you did it!" Chase exclaimed.

"Yes we did, now we need to go to Sasa Sanctuary!"

"Huh?" Chase asked at the same time as Bren's cheer.

* * *

They decided to try out the Mermaid Spring that time. To Chase, it felt like riding something going very, very fast. And it was quite wet.

And in the bamboo grove, there were Mr. Bamboo and Kaguya. "The gods be praised! Is it really you, Kaguya?" Mr. Bamboo asked. "I never thought I'd see you again after the emperor suddenly summoned you to Sei-an City. Kaguya…dear Kaguya…"

"It feels like ages since we last met, grandfather. My, look at all those new wrinkles. Have I worried you so? Oh, grandfather…" Kaguya sobbed.

"I thought you guys would run into each other here," Issun said.

"Oh, Kaguya. Let us live together happily ever after! We could sell my bamboo ware, just you and me!" Mr. Bamboo said.

"Huh?" The shock was evident on Kaguya's face. Then it turned to sadness and guilt. "Oh, uh…"

"Hm? What's wrong, Kaguya? Do you have to return to the emperor?"

"No, that's not it. It's just…I cannot live with you, grandfather."

"Huh?" Mr. Bamboo looked extremely confused. "Huh…? What are you talking about, Kaguya? You're not eloping or running away from something, are you?"

"I didn't know you were here, grandfather." She sighed. "It would have been better if we had not met before I departed."

"Depart? Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure. The royal crest carved into the earth here in Sasa Sanctuary…it calls to me!" Very suddenly a hole appeared in the ground.

"What the?!" Bren exclaimed.

"Kaguya, what are you doing?" Mr. Bamboo questioned.

"It's as if I'm being driven by some invisible force. Below this crest…far below the earth…something linked to my mysterious past awaits! I must go! I must see what lies within this hole!" And with that, she jumped into said hole.

"Kaguya…_Kaguya_!" Mr. Bamboo called desperately.

"No! Don't do it, bamboo girl! It's too dangerous! After her Ammy!" Issun exclaimed.

Ammy turned to look at them. "You all stay here!" she ordered before jumping down.

A few minutes went by. Then they reemerged. It was silent for a few moments, none of them knowing what to expect. But they sure as krag weren't prepared for a giant rocket to emerge from the ground.

"B-Bamboo girl?" Issun asked hesitantly. "Wh-what the heck? Looks like a bamboo shoot, except its metal and insanely huge!" Chase suddenly realized that he and his friends were the only ones here who knew what a rocket was, out of all of Nippon.

Just went to show that they weren't from the same world.

Kaguya took a small step toward the rocket "This…this is what was calling me. It's the link to my mysterious past!"

"Kaguya…" Mr. Bamboo started. "I knew…I knew that this giant bamboo shoot was buried here in Sasa Sanctuary…"

"You did?" Kaguya turned around to face her grandfather. "But…"

"One day, many years ago, I came here to cut down some bamboo. Suddenly, this giant bamboo shoot appeared right before my eyes! Your cold and nearly lifeless body came tumbling out. Then, this giant bamboo shoot disappeared back into the ground. You were cold as ice and looked like you might die at any minute. I quickly picked you up and rushed you home. My dearly departed wife and I nursed you back to health. We had always wanted a child. You were like a blessing from the heavens. You brought joy into our lives. I couldn't tell you the truth. I feared that if you found out, you would seek out this strange bamboo shoot. I feared that it would take you away from us forever! Don't go!" Mr. Bamboo pleaded. "Don't go, Kaguya!"

"Grandfather!" Tears were forming in Kaguya's eyes. She and Mr. Bamboo hugged, and Chase was immediately reminded of his father…where was he now? And if that didn't prove the sadness of the situation, he thought he heard Issun sobbing quietly. "I always thought of you and dearly departed grandmother as my real family! And that feeling shall never fade. Though I may leave, my heart remains with you. Remember that! But I cannot stay here with you. A mysterious force is calling me. I cannot resist. I must discover where I came from! Don't worry. I will come back to you. I just need to know. So, I beg of you, oh grandfather dear…see me off with a smile on your face!"

"Okay…I will, Kaguya! Go wherever you may! I only ask that when you get there, you remember one thing. You are my precious grandchild. Never forget that! You are my dearest, most precious grandchild!"

"Oh, grandfather!" And then they both hugged again. Go figure.

"His precious grandchild…" Issun muttered. "Huh? Oh, I wasn't thinking about home or anything…no, really!"

"Issun, Amaterasu…I'm forever grateful to you. I could never thank you enough for what you did for me…but please, accept this as a token of my appreciation," she said and gave us a red tablet. "It was my sole link to my mysterious past. But now that I'm returning home, I shall need it no longer. May it help you in your travels. It is time…time for me to depart. Thank you, you three! Thank you, grandfather! Farewell, and may we meet again someday!"

Kaguya got in the rocket and glass encased her like a bubble. Chase didn't know how she knew how to control it, but she did anyhow. It blasted off into the sky as they watched silently.

"Well, it's gone." Issun sighed once the rocket was out of sight. "Wonder where it's headed. I hope that bamboo girl has a safe journey wherever it leads." Chase, Ammy, and the others kept staring at the sky. "Hey, get the lead out everyone! We got sidetracked helping that bamboo girl. We gotta rake that queen over the coals! She's got some explaining to do!"

"Can't we do that tomorrow?" Chase asked, lying down.

"What?! Chase, don't tell me you're tired! It's nighttime, and you're the moon god! It doesn't make any sense!"

"Issun, let Chase and his friends get some rest." Ammy came to their rescue. "We can go fight imps until we get tired."

"Fine…" the Poncle grumbled.

When they were out of earshot, Chase went over one thing that lingered in his mind. Out of all people that lived in Nippon, Kaguya was the _only_ person with blond hair he'd seen. Weirdly she also had amber eyes. Not to mention, her scent was somewhat similar to Charlemagne's…were they related somehow? He snorted and shook his head. _No way. That's impossible—different worlds, for crying out loud!_

Then he was aware that Jinja had decided to use him as some kind of furry pillow. "Uh, Jin?" he asked, but she was already asleep. He sighed. _Just go with it, Suno. Just go with it…_

* * *

Bright and early the next morning, they used the Mermaid Spring to get back to Sei-An city. It was also decided that the easiest way to get into Himiko's palace was to use Veil of Mist. Yeah, it was tricky keeping the others focused, but they pulled it off anyhow.

As soon as they went into the building, they were stopped by a handmaiden who was wearing some sort of see-through purple cloth over her face. "Why, it really is you…" she whispered in awe. "Her Majesty, Queen Himiko, has foreseen your coming. You must not delay. Please, Queen Himiko awaits on the top floor!"

"Himiko's waiting…for us?" Chase said skeptically.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Bren mumbled.

"For once, Bren's right," Jinja said.

"If you're really the ones Queen Himiko has been looking for, even a boiling sea of flames won't stand in your way, will it?" the handmaiden asked.

Before Bren could process what she said and have a panic-attack, they went into the elevator (not a bomb-powered one). When it stopped and the door opened—

"Whoa!" Dax exclaimed. They were standing right in front of a room—no, _three_ rooms—full of hot, bubbling lava.

"What the heck?" Issun shouted. "What's all this lava doing here? Ammy, Chase, you might be gods and all, but…you'd end up crispy critters if you fell in this stuff!"

"I'm becoming a crispy critter and I'm not even touching it," the former commented.

"But we're not givin' up that easy! Did Himiko really think this could stop the great Amaterasu, Tsukiterasu, and company?! Why don't we just equip that thing we got?" They did as such, and a strange red-orange aura surrounded them. "That Himiko's sure making things difficult. She must really have a good reason for wanting to keep people away. Let's keep going, you guys. But just be careful, okay?"

"Leap before you think…?" Chase asked hesitantly. Ammy nodded and jumped right in. She wasn't burning. She even looked like she was enjoying it!

It took him a few second to realize that Beyal was simply wading through, nothing happening to him either. Chase exchanged looks with the other three before they all went in.

"You know, this actually feels…" Jinja started, pausing to find the words for it. "…like a warm milkshake, sort of."

After five empty rooms and one last room with an Origin Mirror—which they all stopped in front of for the heck of it—they finally came to the room that had Himiko in it. It was the biggest room yet, and had a kragload of candles in it. Toward the back was a curtain, presumably with the queen herself behind it.

The candles flickered ominously as they went forward. Both Ammy and Chase immediately got into battle stance, while Team Core-Tech all gave defiant glares. "Hey you guys," Issun said. "I bet you that's Himiko. Looks like the freaky shut-in is praying or something. Heh-heh…the security here was pretty tight…"

"More like overkill," Jinja muttered.

"But it was nothing we couldn't handle!" Chase snarled loudly at the figure. "Yeah! You tell 'er, Chase!"

Then Himiko spoke. "Benevolent Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu…Issun the wandering artist…I have been waiting for you," she said gently. "And Bren, Jinja, Beyal, Dax, and Jeredy—you too, of course." Big shock.

"You know our names?" Beyal asked.

Issun interjected. "Anyways, first things first. You knew about that funky mist and the Water Dragon, didn't ya? You've got some explaining to do!"

"Tell us what you're up too!" Jinja demanded.

Himiko started sobbing. "My people…my poor people…their suffering torments me. Sickened by this mist, and then terrorized by the Water Dragon…the cries of their pain wash over me like a torment!" The candles in the room turned brighter for a second before darkening, going back to normal.

"We know what's going on. _You're_ tormenting the people of this city. You must be a monster feeding off the ill-will it generates! Now stop stalling and raise this grimy old curtain. C'mon! Show yourself, ya old hag!" Issun accused.

"Issun. Your words are very harsh," Himiko said in a slightly-hurt tone. Chase wasn't sure he could believe it. "But you are right. It was rude of me to hide my face from you." She turned around, still holding up the leaf that covered her face. "Benevolent Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu…I, Himiko, the ruler of Sei-an City, offer my most sincere apologies." She gave a small bow. The curtain started to rise and Chase started feeling apprehensive. Was she a normal person or a monster?

As Himiko sat up, she took the leaf away from her face. She turned out to be the former, and Chase knew what Issun's reaction would be. Yep—once glance confirmed it. He'd fainted mid-bounce and fell to the floor. He also saw a blush on Bren's face, and he thought he saw a faint one on Dax.

"As ruler, I can't stand by and watch my people suffer. I, Himiko, will not allow this evil to darken Sei-An. My prayers will not cease until we are rid of this menace! Until I have located the hateful monsters' stronghold, Oni Island!"

Issun woke up and jumped onto Ammy's head. "What's this about a monster stronghold? Are you saying that's the source of your city's problems? Can't say I've ever heard of Oni Island or whatever ya call it. And whaddya mean you're trying to locate the island? I mean, it's an island, right? It couldn't have just floated away!"

"Oni Island is elusive. It vanishes each day at sundown, shifting to a new location. No one knows where in the vast, wide ocean it will reappear. So, even if I wanted to dispatch an army there, it would never arrive."

"You don't say…still, why d'ya stay cooped up in this room all day long? I mean, what good will it do to simply pray day in and day out?"

Himiko stood up and gestured to a crystal ball as it floated above her head. "This is the treasured crystal ball. My family, the Yamatai Clan, have ruled Sei-An City forever. This crystal ball has been passed down through the generations. I can foresee the future in it. It told me you were coming. And it will tell me where in the ocean Oni Island will appear next."

"That's interesting," Jinja said while Ammy barked at it. "So why haven't you done it before?"

"Exposing a stronghold like Oni Island demands much holy power. But if our enemies knew about my prayers, they would stop at nothing to prevent me in my mission. That is why I have locked myself away. Prayers are our only hope. But the spearhead of the enemy's forces may already be on its way."

"Heh…that's a pretty good story, queeny. But I'll go along with it. I mean, what the heck! I'd do anything for a pretty lady!" Issun chuckled. He jumped off of Ammy's head and started to bounce up to Himiko, but once he got close he was zapped by something and flew backwards to the ground. Ammy went over and started poking him. "Youch! Thanks for the warning…"

"Be careful! You cannot approach me now. By taking this crystal ball into my hand, a powerful magical barrier is erected to dispel any misfortune. You will be struck down by divine forces if you try to approach. This crystal ball ensures my safety. Even if my enemies learn of my prayers, the barrier will protect me from their attacks. Amaterasu, Tsukiterasu, I ask you once again. Will you hear my request? The request of all my people?"

"I guess," Chase said, going into human-form for the heck of it. Himiko showed no reaction.

"The mighty Water Dragon now threatens the peace of the oceans. I don't know why it has suddenly turned to such savagery. The Water Dragon is a sea god whose task is to maintain order. So, though it may cause harm, we invite chaos if we try to slay it. In fact, without the Water Dragon, Oni Island is beyond our reach."

"What do you mean by that?" Beyal asked.

"The key to reaching Oni Island lies within the Water Dragon."

"_Meaning_?" Jinja pressed.

"Even if the crystal ball shows me the location of the island, the island's powerful shield will prevent us from reaching it. Any attempt to break the shield will only result in our own pain. But the Water Dragon could break the shield with ease! And it could form a bridge across the sea to the island."

"So you're saying that you'll find the location of Oni Island and the Water Dragon will break the barrier around it?" Issun clarified. "Is that really the only way to get into the enemy's stronghold? But what about the Water Dragon? It's out of control, right? I seriously doubt it'll be happy to help us."

"That is why I must ask for your help, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. Your powers could calm the Water Dragon and get it to help us. I cannot leave this palace, for my prayers require all of my energy. You are the only one who can take on this important task!"

"You gotta be kidding me! You want us to make friends with the rampaging Water Dragon?"

"That's suicide!" Dax shouted.

"Well, I'd do anything for a cute girl, but…if my bosses here say no, there ain't much I can do. Well, guys? We gonna help Himiko out or what?"

"We'll help," Ammy said.

"Bummer! Well, the boss has spoke—HUH? What was that, Ammy?"

"She said we'll help," Chase clarified.

"Oh, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu! You are truly benevolent! So, I entrust you with this border key. Use this key to cross the border and continue into the land beyond. It is said there is a race which controls the Water Dragon. They live in the sea beyond the border, in the dragonian domain. They may have some connection with the dragon's recent behavior. Please calm the Water Dragon and open the path to Oni Island!"

"All right, we'll do it," Issun grumbled. Of course once they were out of the palace, Issun had a short rant. "Now look at the mess you've gotten us into! Well, at least we know who's been controlling that Water Dragon! Let's go pay the dragonian domain a visit!"

"Actually," Jinja spoke up. "I kinda wanna look around the city for a bit. We didn't really get a chance to explore, did we?"

"…good point."


	24. Chapter XXIII: Day in the City 市の日

So they went around a bit, checking things out. Of course Ammy, Chase, and Issun bloomed every dead tree they found, and when the rest of Core-Tech reported back, Beyal said that he learned that the dragonian domain…was a palace underwater. And that was from a little girl.

"Ya know what, let's go see the pretty priestess. I wanna see her reaction to the mist vanishing!" Issun suggested.

"Fine," was Chase's response.

Rao looked slightly shocked on their arrival. "Heya!" Issun greeted. "We had a word with Himiko. Judging by her face, I'd say she's not a bad apple after all!"

Rao jumped in surprise. "You were allowed an audience with Queen Himiko? Even I haven't been able to meet with her recently. I'm certainly relieved to hear that she looks well…but I also hear the Water Dragon's tyranny has reached new heights. No trading ships can get through. The city's food is running low. And the evil besieging our fair land still looms large in the shadows." Chase frowned. _Didn't she already tell us that?_

He made note of something else. Beyal looked a bit…suspicious. He'd ask about it later.

When they got to the commoners' quarter, Issun immediately said, "Sweet! The cursed zone vanished along with that funky mist! Looks like the city's come back to life! Ammy, bet ya never saw a happenin' place like this a-hundred years ago! This must be exciting for you, being from the country and all. Now, I know you just want to have fun, but don't go overboard. I mean, I don't want you to forget what you're supposed to be doing."

"We won't," Ammy said, rolling her eyes.

"All right! Meet back up with you in a couple hours!" Issun said and bounced off.

They stood there a few minutes, unsure of what to do. Ammy shrugged and ran ahead, barking at people to get their attention—and possibly some information.

"You know, I think I'll go see what's in that other store," Jinja said, walking ahead. Beyal followed.

Dax merely shrugged and walked a different direction, obviously to explore on his own.

Bren looked off to the side. There _was_ a restaurant right there…so it was a no-brainer that he'd want to check it out. Shrugging slightly, Chase followed, being sure to go as a person.

So they went in, and decided to talk to the cook. "Hello there!" he said when he saw them. "You look like people who appreciate fine cuisine!"

"Uh, yeah," Bren said.

"Proper diet is the key to life! I'm Yama, top chef in Sei-An City! Pleased to meet ya! Whaddya think about this huge pot on this giant stove?"

"It's…nice," Chase commented, really having nothing better to say. "Impressive, eh? I invested every yen to my name into 'em. I had to get 'em special in order for what I'm aiming to do. Ever heard the tale about _that_ mushroom? I mean, there's not a single chef in the world that doesn't know about it." Taking both their silences as answers, he added, "I'm talking about the legendary Golden Mushroom! I've spent decades trying to master the culinary arts, but I've yet to make a dish that truly satisfies me. If only I could get my paws on one of those Golden Mushrooms, I'm sure I could prove my true skill by making the ultimate dish! I already have this huge pot and giant stove. All I need now is a Golden Mushroom! Then I'll master the art of cooking. That is my dream!"

For a few moments both Chase and Bren just stared at him. Then Chase groaned and took said item out of his bag—they'd gotten it from the teashop owner in Taka Pass after returning the teacup.

"Could it be?" Yama gasped. "Is that…is that the legendary Golden Mushroom?" It took all of Chase's willpower not to facepalm right then. "That sparkling gold color…that captivating shape…yes, there can be no doubt! Where in the world did you find it, kids?!"

"Uh, some teashop owner in Taka Pass gave it to us," Chase said.

"Oh…well, with that mushroom I could fulfill my dream…my dream to master the art of cooking!"

"I think we understand that," Bren muttered.

"Please!" Yama begged. "I must have that mushroom! What could you kids do with it, anyways?"

In response Chase handed it over. "Really? Oh, thank you!" The chef literally danced for joy, making himself look like a complete idiot. "With this golden mushroom, I will attempt to make the ultimate dish! My long-cherished dream will finally be fulfilled!"

A random silence ensued. "Uh, _hello_?" Bren called to get the guy's attention.

"Huh? Oh, yes…the ultimate dish! I was so overwhelmed by emotion when the legendary Golden Mushroom came into my paws…not a day has passed without my preparing this huge pot and—"

"Get on with it already!" Chase yelled irritably.

"Erm…right…behold, Yama's super-deluxe fan-the-flames dance!" Chase didn't really know what to call what Yama did. He punched the air, did some kicks, fanned the stove, and…

Chase suddenly had a strange urge to draw an infinity symbol in the stove. He did so…and a giant fireball appeared inside it.

And even-more-suddenly there was a flash, and _bam_—Moegami was in front of them. Ammy had also randomly teleported to where they were, although Chase knew she was only there in spirit. _"Ah, Amaterasu and Tsukiterasu. My power had diminished while you were away. But that man's zeal and your own pure hearts have restored my power. I have harnessed his fervent energy to bestow upon you both a new power. Unleash your wrath in a mighty Fireburst!"_

Apparently that short speech was all the time Yama needed to finish making the best dish ever, as they immediately smelled it. "I've done it!" Yama exclaimed jovially. "My long-cherished dream, the ultimate dish, is ready! I give you…_rice stew eruption_!" He said something else, but neither Chase or Bren were really paying attention, because that stuff was really good. Not to mention Chase received fifty Praise Orbs (and so did Ammy).

* * *

Meanwhile, said sun goddess (in human form) had caught up with Beyal, who had decided to speak with an short, older man who was wearing a pink outfit. And had a tree on his head.

"Oh, hello there!" he greeted. "Just look! The air in Sei-An City is crystal clear today! What a relief after that accursed mist had covered the city. That no-good mist withered all the trees I so lovingly tended to. But it's gone now, as you can plainly see. Sei-An City looks like her old self once more!"

"Yes, it is a relief," Beyal said, looking around.

"Unfortunately, the trees have yet to recover…and though the mist had hindered my efforts, I can now do the Gura Shuffle and make the cherry blossoms bloom! I learned it from a certain flower dance master, you know." Then he addressed them directly. "Would you like to see the Gura Shuffle, kids? Do not doubt my resolve. I shall dance when the time has come. But the city's wounds are deep. If I did the Gura Shuffle now, I doubt my strength would suffice. I mean, just look at the great cherry blossoms here on my roof!" He gestured to the giant tree on his house. "That is the sacred protector of Sei-an City, but…as you can clearly see, it has been possessed. It will take considerable power to make such trees bloom. I'm overwhelmed by the sheer number of them in the city. So, I shall save my dance till all the normal trees bloom. That was I can borrow the power of the profusely blooming blossoms! Just one more to go!"

At seeing Beyal's startled expression, Ammy laughed and said, "Issun, perhaps?"

The monk looked at her and nodded slightly. "But…where could the last one be?"

Ammy chuckled, shaking her had and using Bloom on the little tree on Mr. Blossom's head. She immediately obtained twenty Praise (and so did Chase). "At last! The time has come!" Mr. Blossom said in a serious tone. "Though few in number, the trees that have bloomed are lending me their power! Now I can drive away the evil spirits with my dance. I shall make those cursed cherry blossoms bloom! Sorry to keep you waiting, kids! At last you shall witness my Gura Shuffle! Come along if you wish to see me dance! Are you ready? I give you…the Gura Shuffle!"

"Ready?" Ammy said. "We'll probably be going fast…judging from the _last_ flower-dancing old guy I saw." Beyal simply nodded.

"Fast" was an apt term. Mr. Blossom was a deceptively-fit old guy, seeing as he had the strength to jump over the canals…multiple times. The first time Beyal had to sprint around to catch up, but other than that Ammy used Lily-Pad to make a makeshift bridge for him, so he could jump up. His jumping skill was very good for a normal human, she noted.

When Ammy finally used Bloom on the last tree—namely, the giant one—Mr. Blossom said, "Phew…it worked! It worked! I got a bit out of control there. Frankly, I wasn't sure I could do it. But when I thought about how happy the people of this city would be, I knew I had to make these trees bloom one way or another! I care not whether it was my dance or the power of the gods that made them bloom. As long as the recovery of our cherry blossoms delight the people, I have no complaints!" Again, twenty more Praise orbs.

The sun goddess also wanted to ask Beyal something. "Beyal, why did you go right to Mr. Blossom?" In response the white-haired controller was silent.

"I suppose it is because he reminded me somewhat of my master." His gray eyes grew a little misty.

Ammy frowned a little. "C'mon," she said. "Why don't we go find Jinja?"

"Yes, of course."

* * *

When Chase had finally managed to pry Bren away from the restaurant, they almost walked into a girl wearing a white kimono. "Oh, sorry!" Chase exclaimed.

"It's alright," she said. "I wasn't really paying attention myself…I'm worried about my father."

"What's wrong?" the Core-Tech leader asked instantly.

"He won't wake up! I thought the mist was making him ill, but he's still not getting better!"

"Is…is there any medicine you can give him…?" Bren suggested.

"Yes, in the shop…but I can't afford it."

Chase gave a helpful smile and said, "Wait right here." He then dashed toward the shop…only to see Ammy, Beyal, Jinja, and his father there. "What're you guys doing?" he asked.

Jinja glanced at him. "Chase, little question. How does Issun…use those special powers that you and Ammy have?"

"Uh…with his brush?"

"I thought so," she said quietly, eyeing something in the store. Chase had a guess, and one glance confirmed it—some paintbrushes.

Ammy smiled. "Well, we definitely have enough yen for five of them—so one for each of you."

"Really?" Jinja exclaimed. Ammy nodded, and subsequently bought five brushes.

While Chase was there, he also bought the medicine. At the others' puzzled looks, he said, "Doing someone a favor."

As soon as he gave Blossom the medicine, she stared at it in awe. "I-I-I don't believe it! Is this what I think it is? How did you manage to get hold of something so expensive?!"

"Well, we travel a lot," was Chase's excuse.

"Do you really want me to have this?" Blossom asked, still looking at the medicine in awe like she was holding a core or something. "I don't believe it! You must have been sent by the gods."

"Uh, well, thanks, I guess," Chase got out. _That's irony for you…_

"Thank you! Thank you! Now I can make Pop better at last!" She started off back to her house—Chase had no idea why, but something told him to follow. Of course Bren was right behind. "Pop…is the medicine working? Oh, please let it work! I just want you to wake up, that's all. I want to hear your voice again!"

The sick person started gasping and sputtering before yelling out "Huh? What?" and going unconscious again.

"Oh! What am I going to do? It's my father…he's lost consciousness again. Maybe the gods are coming for him this time."

"Not on my watch!" Chase exclaimed. He had no idea why, but something made him kick the poor guy in the side. Strangely enough, his horrible plan worked.

"Huh?" Blossom's dad yelled out as he jumped to his feet. "How could you do that to a sick old man? Wait…oh, that smell…I cannot resist! The cherry blossoms of Sei-An City must be in full bloom! Time to eat, drink, and be merry! Oh, happy day!" He ran outside

A few awkward moments went by, and Blossom suddenly looked sheepish. "Oh, yes…I forgot—my father has another illness which cannot be cured. He adores the flower-viewing festival. But he gets too excited and hurts his back every year. I made him promise not to go, but it looks like the flower fever has struck again!"

"Can we leave now?" Bren asked.

"Uh, yeah," Chase said, shaking his head slightly.

They all met up by a stone lantern, which Ammy had lit up for the heck of it. "Heya guys!" Issun called, bouncing up onto Chase's head—even though said teen wasn't in wolf-form. "So what'd you do while I was gone?"

"Ah, just helped a bunch of people out…and bought five brushes for them," Chase said, gesturing at the others for the last part.

"Really?" The Poncle turned his attention to the others. "Wanna learn how to use the celestial brush techniques, do ya?"

"Sort of," Jinja admitted. "It looks fun."

"It is, trust me!"

"Now, I do believe we've put off going to the northern part of Ryoshima Coast long enough," Ammy said. "Shall we be off?"

"Yeah, Ammy," Chase said. "Let's go, guys!"


	25. AN

**I'm going to be blunt here. If you don't like how I've written the story, then DON'T FREAKING READ IT. If I get one more nasty reveiw from whoever this anonymous guy is (you know who you are!) I'll just stop uploading my fics here altogether. Got it? ~Myra**


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